


Oleanders & Belladonnas

by UnderworldAngel



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Coma, F/M, Investigations, Manipulation, Seduction, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-01 04:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 87,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5192552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnderworldAngel/pseuds/UnderworldAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(inspired by lovelyblogtime's tumblr prompt/post) Women all over Paris have been falling into a coma-like sleep, the perpetrator unknown and its latest victim was near their school. Can Ladybug and Chat Noir figure out who's behind this epidemic? Or has this new villain set its sights on sweet Marinette?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sleeping Beauties

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by lovelyblogtime's tumblr post about a prompt/episode she wanted to happen about a shape shifter that steals people's energy. Got inspired by it to write this! God I am so deep into this fandom! Wrote this pretty quickly because of how dark the theme is. Warning, this story will get pretty dark in later chapters, just a warning in advance. Consider this a late Halloween gift/First posted this on FF.net and now posting it on Ao3. Anyway, on with the show!

Another girl hit the ground, the hollow sound of a body hitting the cold concrete echoed throughout the alleyway. Her skin turning a sickly white, calmy too, and her sunken eyes rolled to the back. 'Wasted my time,' the shadowed figure sneered at the fallen figure. This one bore an uncanny resemblance to his ex, his first victim, and caused him to drain more than was needed. No, she wasn't dead per say, but pretty damn close to it.

Had he not been the perfect lover before his transformation? Wasn't he caring towards her? Loving her? Gave her space when needed and rushing back when times got rough? He did everything for her and she walked away once she found someone else, someone 'better looking'. After three years, she left him for a younger man! She wasted his time, time he could never get back! The humiliation and rage he felt kept rising as he watched her drive off with her new lover, an immature brat that he doubt would stick by her for a year, let alone the three they had. He had never took notice of the butterfly landing on his heart-shaped charm on his silver chain. All he could remember was the dark voice in the back of his mind, the darkness swallowing him and the incessant need to feed.

His ex, of course, was the first. It wasn't difficult to lure her back; she was easy, a few whispers here and there and a overnight stay was all it took to win her back. But he didn't want her back, she was dirty, vile, but her energy was oh so delicious. Now she, and ten other victims, lay in a coma-like state in the hospital with no hope of walking up. This new woman would make his twelfth victim yet he never felt any fuller once he drained them of their life-force. In fact, this one had a pretty bitter life force that made him choke. He was getting sloppy, picking up any woman on the streets, young or old, to feed off and the voice was growing impatient.

'Bring me the Miraculous' it hissed. The Miraculous of his city's famed heroes: Ladybug and Chat Noir. He had not forgotten the deal but he still felt so weak and that last girl left a vile taste in his mouth.

'Perhaps a change is an order,' he thought. He had gone after women that resembled his ex: beautiful yet deceitful. Women that looked pretty but were cold, fickled or immature when it came to matters of the heart. All their life-force were sweet yet left a bitter aftertaste. He desired something pure, something loving and true. Someone who loved truly and deeply with all their heart the same way he did. Someone beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.

Yes, that would be his next target before he set off after Ladybug and Chat Noir. 

* * *

Marinette trugged foward to school, her mind half muddy from last night's patrol around the city. She was seriously getting tired of Chat's never ending banter of cat puns and cheesy, romantic lines. Why couldn't he just focus on the patrol and not on her? Although she was flattered by the attention, it got annoying when it got in the way of their duties, plus Chat Noir just wasn't the boy she loved. With that note, the image of a blonde-hair model with a friendly smile invaded her thoughts. Marinette sighed as she thought of Adrien, how her knees got weak when he walked by and how tongue-tied she became when he spoke to her.

' _Why is it when I'm facing akuma-ized villain and flirty catboys that I'm cool and collect, yet the second I see Adrien I turn into a huge idiot_ ,' she thought sadly, remembering her last encounter with him and how stupid she probably looked.

"Marinette!"

The young French-Asian was snapped out of her thought and turned around to spot her friend, Alya, running towards her, waving a newspaper in her hand. Out of breath but buzzing with excitement, Alya shoved the paper into her friend's face "Check it out! Another victim was found!"

On the front of the paper were two images side-by-side: the left image was of a school portrait picture of a pretty brunette with brown eyes, smiling into the camera; the image on the right showed the inside of an alley covered in crime scene tape. Above was the headline: TWELFTH BODY FOUND! ANOTHER WOMEN LEFT IN A COMA! Marinette frowned and her lips formed a grimance as she briefly read the story below.

Another woman found comatosed, another victim of some unknown perpetrator that was going around targeting women, leaving them in a coma-like state yet leaving no trace of him or her behind. She remembered bringing this issue up with Chat Noir but neither knew if this was the work of an akuma or a regular criminal. Tikki couldn't sense any akuma nearby and if it was just done by a person, they would leave it to the police. The two superheroes wouldn't be on good terms with the police if they started doing their jobs as well. Beside, akumas were enough trouble for them.

"Can you believe it?" asked Alya, pulling the paper back and catching her breath, "Another victim found only two days ago. This one is the youngest. Amanda Bisset, age 16, daughter of a wealthy textile designer, attends Lycee St. Louis de Gonzague and studying chemistry was the latest victim of the Parisian Incubus."

"The Parisian Incubus? What?" questioned Marinette, giving her friend a puzzed look.

"That's what the paper is calling the criminal," Alya rolled up the paper as the two made their way into the school, "Kinda cheesy, I know, but all the victims last known movement involved them on a date with an unknown male. Amanda told her roommate that she was meeting a guy that night for a date."

"Same person?"

"No, its always a different discription of the person and they're usually vague when it comes to details, but it can't be just a coincidence! I mean twelve girls in coma in the past three month? The police are thinking it's a really talented man with different disguises or a group of men, each targeting a girl of their choice."

"That's sick," stated Marinette as the two made their way into their class and in their seats. Alya nodded and continued going on about the case and its rise in popularity on the news. Other students started leaking into the classroom, some holding the same newspaper as Alya did and were reading the front page story obsessively, talking about it with each other. Adrien and Nino were the last to walk in and they, too, had the newspaper and were talking about the case.

"I knew the girl's father," said Adrien, his voice making Marinette swoon, she thanked the fact that she was sitting down so as not to lose her footing again, "He was pretty distraught about what happen to Amanda and the doctors aren't sure if or when she'll walk up."

"Creepy," Nino placed the paper in front of him, "That school she goes to is nearby too. You don't suppose this sicko will come to this school will he?"

"Hopefully not," chimed Alya, poking Marinette under the table so as to get her to say something to Adrien, "But there doesn't seem to be a pattern. The girls range from 20-16 in age, different ethnicties and have different social status and backgrounds."

"Maybe its something in their personality," addressed Nino, "Maybe the perpetrator knew the girls from somewhere or spotted them at a particular place and followed them from there?"

Alya and Nino went back and forth about the case, what the pattern or motive could be, whether it was a group or a single person, all while their two friend sat back in amusement. "They're really into this weird case, aren't they?" asked Adrien, looking up at Marinette.

Marinette bit back a squeal when Adrien spoke to her, "Uh...yeah, Alya really good at this sort of stuff. She has to be to be a reporter...umm, but hopefully the police will catch the person and help those girls..."

Marinette's saving grace was Mme. Bustier walking into the class just as the bell rang. She was sure her face had turn red and her stuttering was getting worse, but thankfully Adrien turn around before he could take notice. Aya patted her on the back, giving her a proud smile for talking to Adrien before shuffling the paper back into her bag. Mme. Bustier called attention to her class, a small smile on her lips but her eyes filled with slight apprehension.

"Students," she began, her voice wavering a bit, "Due to the situation that transpire near our school, the local police have decided to place a temporary curfew for all students in the local area. Starting today, anyone under the age of 21 must be in their homes, dorms or apartment by 9:30pm. Anyone found outside after curfew and not in the company of an adult will be severely punished and placed under house arrest and escorted to and from their home and school under the accompany of a officer."

"What!?" shrieked Chloe, "That is unacceptable! I shouldn't be punished because my dumb girl got herself killed off!"

"Chloe!" yelled Mme. Bustier before calming herself, reminding herself who's daughter she was, "This is for yours and everyone else's protection. Until we know who is responsible for these attacks, its best that everyone be home before sundown."

"My father will hear about this," hissed Chloe, picking up her phone, "This is so stupid. Some slutty girls get hurt and now I'm being punish. Ugh!"

Marinette rolled her eyes, leave it to Chloe to complete disregard the innocent girls being attack and make it all about her. ' _The girls aren't dead you heartless witch_ ,' though Marinette, ' _But it's not like their situation is any better_.' The first victim, the oldest, had been in a coma since the attacks started, three months. From what she heard on the news and read from articles, she wasn't brain dead nor suffering any internal injuries. Same with the other girls as well, no visible injuries, just twelve girls in a coma-like sleep.

The media had dubbed the victims the 'Sleeping Beauties' as they were all considered very attractive women and the way they were found; laying on their back, hair brushed back with the arms on their stomach, fingers interlock, made for a good story. A sort of twisted fairy tale coming true only sans the Prince Charming coming to walk them up. Marinette ignore the tantrum Chloe was throwing and made a mental note to visit the victims' hospital later on. After all, Marinette may have a curfew, but Ladybug didn't.

After Chloe calmed down, making a threat about calling her father to lift her and Adrien's curfew, Mme. Bustier started today's lesson, ironically, a continuation of medieval courtly romance and fairy tales. Specifically, La Belle au bois dormant. As the teacher talked about the symbolism involved with the tale, Marinette, actually paying attention, started writing down some the info that matched with the case. Beautiful women, meeting a 'prince', falling in love, falling into a deep sleep.

' _Does he have some vendetta against pretty girls or was there something else about these girls that made them stand out_ ,' Marinette started at her notes, going back to what Alya said earlier, ' _Alya's right, there has to be a pattern. What makes these girls stand out from others_?'

Once lunch period came, the students started picking up their stuff. Alya made a sly remark about having the boys, AKA Nino and Adrien, join them for lunch, much to Marinette's distress as her stuttering came back. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, Chloe came in and stole Adrien away, making some excuse about him not spending enough time with her or something. While Marinette bit back anger and disappointment, she told Alya she would catch up with her later as she needed something from her locker, leaving before the other girl could get a word out.

Now in the safety of the empty hallway, Tikki popped out of her handbag. "Going to call Chat Noir," the tiny kwami stated, floating next to Marinette's head.

"Yep," she replied, pulling out her spotted compact/yo-yo, flipping it over to the phone setting, "Chat, meet me at Hotel-Dieu de Paris. I think it's time we ask about these 'Sleeping Beauties' epidemic."

"Be careful, Marinette," pipped Tikki, "I have a feeling the person behind this is bad news, more so than the ones we've dealt with up to now. Promise me you'll be extra careful."

"Don't worry, Tikki," replied Marinette, cupping her beloved kwami and giving the sprite a small kiss, "Nothing Ladybug can't handle."


	2. Transfer Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigation into the Sleeping Beauties case and a new transfer students enters the fray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks, again, to lovelyblogtime for prompt and permission to write this. Anyway, this chapter is half-filler for the investigation. I'll try to keep the cast in character as well as I can and write as often as I can. I've truly love this show and this fandom for all its support. Also, I edited the first chapter since I found some grammar errors on it (sorry, don't have a proof reader) and I edited this chapter this morning before posting. If you find anything weird of incorrect, please let me know. Anyway, enough mush, onto the story!

After school concluded, Marinette made an excuse to Alya, something about her parents needing help with deliveries, and ran out of the building into the nearest alleyway. Making sure she was completely alone and away from prying eyes, Marinette transformed into Ladybug and started making her way towards Hotel Dieu, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, swing across large streets until she made her way to the Ile de la Cite banks. Unsurprisingly, Chat Noir was already at the meeting place, crouching on the wrought iron fence with that irritating smug look on his face, "Looks like I beaten you here, My Lady," he purred, sliding down, his belt-tail twirling in his hand. Ladybug rolled his eyes and walked right past him.

"We don't have time for that, Kitty," she said, pushing through the hospital doors, "We need to investigate the comatose victims."

Upon entering the building, the two masked heroes found it swarming with police officers from every district in France. Ladybug recognized most of the uniformed officers to be from the Police Nationale due to the badges stitched on their sleeves. Many were going in and out of the nearby corridors while others were huddled in groups, talking to weeping adults that were most likely the parents of the victims. None of them seem to notice or care that they were there, though they both spotted Officer Roger, Sabrina's father, at the far corner talking to Amanda Brisset's father.

Ladybug made her way towards the front of the receptionist's desk and rang the tiny bell. Two seconds later, a haggered and disheveled women came running towards them, carrying a messy pile of medical files, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience but we are unable to take in any more patients at this time. If you are in need of any medical assistance please contact...," the women looked up and froze mid-sentence, realizing who she was speaking to, "L-Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Everything fell to silence as the names of Paris's famed heroes were heard. The police officers and parents turns towards them in shock, finally noticing their appearance. In the corridors, patients both young and old peeked out of their room, squealing and whispering excitedly about seeing the masked heroes, but were ushered back by the nurses and officers. Agent Roger took this as his cue to go greet them before any of the Police Nationale could.

"Hello Ladybug, Chat Noir," greeted Sabrina's father, "I'm guessing your here about the Sleeping Beauties. Rest assure, our police force is taking care of it. No need to get involved."

"While we don't want to take you away from your investigation, we can't just leave it alone, Officer Roger," answered Ladybug, "Chat Noir and I just want to make sure that this isn't the work of an akuma."

Roger shook his head, "I know you mean well, but I can't allow you two to get involved. I'm going to ask you to leave..."

"Oh leave them be," cried a female voice. Storming out from a nearby hallway was a woman in her late forties, tall with graying blonde hair, bloodshot brown eyes and tan skin. "If they want to investgate what happen to my daughter then let them! Any help would be appreciated!"

"Now Mrs. Charter," started a nearby officer, "We can't allow civilians to interfere..."

"First off," Mrs. Charter hissed, "They are not normal civilians, they're Paris famed heroes! Second, you people haven't even gotten a lead on what has happen or who's responsible. And third, you hardly touched my daughter's case since your so much more focused on Brisset's and Talbott's daughters!"

Ladybug took this as her cue to quickly lead the woman back towards the corridor, dragging Chat Noir by his cat ears and away from the group of giggling fan girls. Like most of the hospital rooms, the Charters' room was cold, neat and smelled of antibiotic and bleach. Posters, balloons and GET WELL cards made the room a bit more habitable, but it still didn't take away the lingering feeling of death. Nancy Charter, the fifth victim, was an attractive blonde, a freshmen attending a community college and lived a fairly modest life. Said victim laid on a hospital bed in the far corner, hair brushed back and arms folded over her stomach, appearing more as if she was sleeping and could awaken at any time.

"What was your daughter like, Mrs. Charter" asked Ladybug, taking a seat in a nearby chair.

Mrs. Charter sighed and started brushing her daughter's hair, "Nancy is...difficult. But then, what growing girl isn't? Nancy is sweet, when she wants to be. Don't know where I went wrong or how she got that attitude."

Chat Noir, leaning against one of the table, spoke up, "The newspapers said that she went on a date. Did you know the guy?"

"No..." her voice dragged on, looking more annoyed than sad, "Nancy _never_ lets us meet her dates. Especially the ones..."

"What? 'The ones' what?" questioned Chat Noir.

"Mrs. Charter, please," pleaded Ladybug, "We need to know."

Mrs. Charter huffed and stated, "Nancy has a boyfriend. Well _did_ anyway. He went away for a month-long trip and Nancy got...loney."

' _Nice way of saying she cheated_ ,' thought Marinette, before turning back to Mrs. Charter. She honestly felt bad for the women who was obviously going through hell and back with her daughter. Could it be normal mother-daughter bickering? Teenage rebellion? Marinette never met Nancy so she only had her mother's word to go by and she wasn't painting a pretty picture for her. "Did you tell the police about this?"

"The _police_ don't care about her case," Mrs Charter hissed, venom dripping from her mouth, "They far too busy with the daughters of Joseph Brisset, Benjamin Talbott or Madeline LaBelle to worry about some working-class girl."

'Brisset, Talbott and LaBelle,' thought Chat Noir, 'Texile designer, politician, and supermodel.' One of the good thing about being the son of a high society designer was access to information about other high-standing individual and families. Joseph Brisset had partner with Gabriel Agreste in his last collection, shooting the textile designer to stardom overnight. Benjamin Talbott is a politician and member of the Socialist Party, his wife, Carol, was the granddaughter of a former French senator. Madeline LaBelle, supermodel for Chanel, Dior and McQueen, worked on Gabriel Agreste's '05 Fall collection. Sadly, Adrien could understand why the police were more focused on the cases of those girls than Miss Charter.

"Are you quite done with this little show."

"Speak of the devil," Mrs. Charter's bloodshot eyes shone with rage.

Standing at the door was a tall, slightly attractive gentleman in a two-piece suit with slick black hair, grey eyes and tan olive skin. Adrien recognized Joseph Brisset but Marinette stared cluelessly until Mrs. Charter started marching towards him, fists clenched, "Get out, Brisset! Ladybug and Chat Noir are investigating _my_ daughter case! You already have the entire police force wrapped around your finger!"

Brisset barely batted an eye at Mrs. Charter's rant, "Don't see why. My dear, sweet Amanda was the latest victim. Shouldn't they be more focused on her case than yours? After all, I sure they know of Nancy's reputation."

"You dirty, piece of..." Mrs. Charter swung her fist back, but Ladybug grabbed her wrist before she could release it onto Brisset's face, "Let me go!"

"Mrs. Charter, calm down!" ordered Ladybug, motioning Chat Noir to take Mr. Brisset outside the room, "Violence isn't going to solve your daughter's case. You need to calm down!"

After a few seconds of struggling, Mrs. Charter immediately broke down and started crying. Marinette picked her up and carried her towards the chair near her daughter. She tried to soothe the woman as best she could, rubbing her back and offering words of comfort, similar to how her own mother would do when she was upset. Whatever it was seem to work, as Mrs. Charter's crying turn to pathetic whimpers.

"Please..." she begged, clutching onto Ladybug's arm, "Please say you'll fix this. Please tell me you'll help my daughter."

Ladybug felt her mouth go dry. She knew the dangers about making promises she couldn't keep, she refused to give this woman false hope only to let it be dashed away. Taking in a deep breath, Ladybug placed a gloved hand over Mrs. Charter's hand and squeezed.

"Mrs. Charter, I promise Chat Noir and I will do everything we can to try to find who did this."

* * *

"My dear Amanda is an honor student at her school," bragged Brisset, "Straight A's, favorite among the teachers, never dare to go out of line..."

Chat Noir honestly wanted to tear out his ears, both cat and human, just to avoid listening to his man brag on about his 'perfect' daughter. The hospital room Amanda Brisset stayed in was vastly different from Nancy Charter: royal blue walls, queen-size bed, carpeted floors, piles of gift bags and bouquets decorated the nightstand & desk, he honestly though he stepped into a hotel room for a moment. Like Nancy, Amanda laid in her silk-covered bed as if she was sleeping, face cleaned and hair pulled back into a braid.

Seated next to Amanda was Mrs. Brisset, a beautiful brunette a decade younger than her husband with dull brown eyes and botox-infused skin, occasionally shooting him a Hollywood-worthy smile. She was dressed in a vintage Chanel suit and skirt, white pumps and white gloves, occasionally dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, trying too hard to look like the grieving mother. Chat Noir wanted to roll his eyes at the whole thing but avoid it as he didn't want the parents to become enrage at him and Ladybug.

And speaking of Ladybug, she thankfully walked into the room, halting Brisset's mid-brag. "Ah, there you are!" stated Mrs. Brisset, getting up from her seat and strolling over to shake her hand, "Finally someone competent to take over my daughter's case."

"Mrs. Brisset, we aren't taking over the case," stated Ladybug, awkwardly shaking the woman's hand, "We're just here to make sure this isn't the work of an akuma..."

"Yes, yes, I get it," waved Mrs. Brisset, strolling back towards her seat, pressing an intercom button on the wall, "Please send a nurse over to freshen my daughter up for her interview," she turned towards the masked teens, "Can we make this quick? My husband and I have a reporter coming in to discuss my daughter's case to the media."

"Uh, sure," said Ladybug, glancing at Chat Noir, "Can you tell us if you notice anything unusual about your daughter's behavior before the incident?"

"Can't tell you," chirped Mrs. Brisset, shrugging her shoulder, "I was away in Milan last week with my girls. Charity balls and all that. Ugh, it was so exhausting."

"I was overseas on business," answered Mr. Brisset, "Amanda has a strict schedule: go to school, attend club functions, go to ballet lesson then return home for violin practice with her home instructor. Our staff was the one that alerted the police when she missed her 12pm curfew."

"What about her classmates?" questioned Chat Noir, glancing back at the gifts, "Did she have any friends at school?"

"Of course Amanda has friends!" laughed Mrs. Brisset, as if it was the most ridiculous thing she has ever hear, "My Amanda is very popular at school. Everyone loves Amanda! Especially the boys."

"Yes..." growled Mr. Brisset, "But she had no time for silly romance or any romantic relationship. In fact, I forbad her from dating until she finished her education."

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other in confusion, "But the newspapers reported that Amanda was on a date on the day of the incident."

Mr. Brisset eyes hardened at that sentence, "The newspapers are filled with idiots. The reporters always distort things in order to get more readers. My Amanda would never disobey me and she wouldn't go gallivanting with some boy in the dead of night."

"My husband and I believe that Amanda was attacked," Mrs. Brisset began to sob and dabbing her eyes, "Some vile man took our poor baby from us and now our life is filled with such torment!"

' _Geeze, Chloe acts more believable than her_ ,' thought Marinette as glanced at the woman forced sobbing. This interview was getting her nowhere. The parents were too guarded and worried about their own appearance than they do about finding the perpetrator who put their daughter in here. Before she could ask another question, a knock at the door broke the sobs of Mrs. Brisset.

"Oh!" squealed Mrs. Brisset, straightening her clothing and fixing her hair and makeup, "That must be the reporter!" She then pushed the two masked teens towards the door, "Thanks so much for visiting. If you have any more question, please speak with our lawyer. Here's his number. Please find the person that did this to our Amanda and 'save the day' or whatever you people say."

Opening the door, a reporter and cameraman stood at the entrance. They both look at shocked at their appearance but where quickly pushed inside by a overly attentive Mrs. Brisset. Ladybug huffed in annoyance before handing over the Brisset's lawyer's card to Chat Noir to pocket before headed down the hallway. "Let's see if any of the other victims' parents can offer a bit more info.

* * *

 Two hours later, Ladybug and Chat Noir exited the hospital exhausted and annoyed. After interview Nancy Charter's mother and the Brisset, the two masked heroes only came across three other families of the Sleeping Beauties, each story mimicked either Mrs. Charter or the Brisset's story. In the end, they couldn't find any pattern between the girls from their parents' perspective. All the girls seem to put a front to their parents but no one really knew how they were or refused to think anything bad of them.

"Let's investigate the schools," stated Ladybug, pulling out her compact and checking the map.

Chat Noir moaned, "Why? The attacks took place outside at night, what will investigating the schools do?"

"Not the schools, kitty. I meant let's talk to the victims' classmates," replied Ladybug, entering in the list of schools she got from the police records, "Those girls obviously put up an act when their parents were around. I'm betting their classmates know the real personalities of those girls."

Chat Noir checked his watch, "But most schools is closed now. I doubt any students will be hanging around."

"True, but two of the victims attending a boarding school and stayed in dorms. Their roommates should know more about them," concluded Ladybug.

"Fine, but can we..." Chat Noir was cut off by the sound of his ring beeping. Ladybug sighed and said, "It's fine, I'll go investigate the school. You should go and find some place to de-transform."

"Wait, I can't leave you alone," reasoned Chat Noir.

Ladybug place a hand on his shoulder, "I'll be fine, Chat. It's just a quick interview. You should worry about yourself. I'll call you later when I find out anything new."

Without a second thought, Ladybug hooked her spotted yoyo towards a nearby tower and sprung up into the air. Chat Noir watched his Lady swing from rooftop to rooftop gracefully before disappearing from view. Sighing, he dashed towards a nearby alleyway before his transformation wore off. Plagg, now free from the ring, gasped and moaned loudly as he landed on Adrien's hand.

"Three hours!" the tiny kwami whined, "That's how long we've been transformed and how long I've been without cheese! And for what? A couple of parents bragging about how great their kids are! What a waste."

"Plagg..." began Adrien, putting him in his pant's pocket, "Could you detect any traces of an akuma in the girls?"

"Eh~ wasn't really paying attention," confused Plagg.

"Plagg! You were suppose to be paying attention to these things!" Adrien raked his fingers through his hair, "How are we suppose to help Ladybug if you keep zoning out."

"Hey, she has her own kwami too, you know," replied Plagg, "If there is a trace of akuma in those girls, her kwami will pick it up."

Adrien huffed and started walking towards his house, taking the shorter route. He was thankful that his fencing lessons were cancelled and that both Natalie and his father were out of town on business. Unfortunately, Nino was busy with visting relatives and Chloe was still trying to get her dad to lift her ban, leaving him alone for the rest of the day. ' _Maybe I should have tried harder to make other friends_ ,' he thought. Though Adrien treasured his friendship with Nino and Chloe, he could still get lonesome when they were both out of the picture.

The blonde model made it home in just a few minutes and immediately wished he had taken a longer route. Everything felt colder when it was just him. Not that this mansion ever felt warm, maybe it once did, but without Natalie or the staff it might as well have been a mausoleum. Plagg took this opportunity to escape the confines of Adrien's pocket and fly about before heading towards the kitchen for some well deserved camembert while his Miraculous holder headed towards his room.

"Checking the Ladyblog for the seventh time today isn't going to get that girl to upload more pictures for you to ogle at," mocked Plagg.

"S-shut up!"

* * *

 Usually, it was classic protocal for any visitors to a boarding school to know a student and leave an photo ID at the front desk. But when your the famed masked superhero of Paris, they pretty much let you have the run of the place. It was these kinds of perks that Marinette was thankful for when she was Ladybug, since everyone always took Ladybug seriously. Once glance at her and the school officials waved her in without a seconds thought.

Despite that, Marinette felt incredible small at this school. The maison d'education de la Legion d'honneur was strictly a hereditary school. Here, bloodline was everything! If you weren't related to someone who was a member of the Legion d'honneur, Ordre national du Merite or received the Medaille militaire, then there was no way you were getting in. The masked girl recalled Chloe making quite a fuse about not being accepted into this school, but quick got over it when she realized that no boys were allowed and dress-code was still a thing here.

While classes were over, the students still roamed the hall since they were all boarders. All of the girls stop to stare and whisper excitedly when Ladybug walked through the halls. Many pulled out their camera and took some quick photos while other tweeted about having Ladybug at their school, some even searched the halls to see if her leather-bound cat-earred partner was within reach as well but sadden when they didn't see him.

This was the school of victim #8, Caitlyn Maddox, and victim #9, Barbara Morel. Both stayed at the same dormitory and had twin sisters for roommates. And after a few minutes of walking, Ladybug finally spotted the twins packing away their belongs in their lockers. Both were strawberry blondes, athletic built and fair skinned, the two sharing earbuds while their backs were turn to her. Ladybug tapped the two girls on the shoulders.

"Casey and Lacey Duval?" asked Ladybug.

One of the twins turned around, her eyes widen and dropped her books on her sister's foot. Her twin hissed in pain, "Casey! Butterfingers, you..." she then turned to see Ladybug and her pain was forgotten, "L-Ladybug! Oh my gosh! You're here! I'm...we're such big fans!"

Ladybug smiled and took note of the two: they looked exactly the same, down to the uniform, exact for the hair barrettes. Lacey wore black barrettes while her sister, Casey, had on pink. "Hi, sorry to bother you while you're at school."

"No bother!" blurted out Casey, her body shaking with excitement, "Really! We're so happy to meet you! Do you need anything? Anything at all?"

"Actually I'd like to speak with you two about your roommates," asked Ladybug, watching as a crowd started to form near the end of the hallway, "Do you known anywhere we can talk in private?"

"My room!" Lacey offered, "My dorm is nearby. We can talk there."

The twins led the way for Ladybug towards Lacey's dorm, occasionally gloating to passing students that Ladybug was visting them and that they were going to have a private conversation. Caitlyn was Lacey's roommate while Barbara stayed with Casey, if anyone knew the two best it had to be their roommates. Once inside, Ladybug took notice of the decor: Lacey was heavy into the punk scene with alternative band posters covering the wall, black and purple bedding, skull & bones stickers on her notebooks, and a electric guitar standing near her desk. On the other side was, what Marinette believed, Caitlyn's side. Unlike Lacey, Caitlyn was utterly messy: untidy bed with books strewn on it, open cosmetics littered the desk, a pair of pumps peeked under the bed and dirty laundry was piling up on a chair.

Lacey and Casey sat on Lacey's bed while Ladybug took her chair, "I'm sorry about what happen to your roommates. You must be upset."

At the mention of their roommates, the sisters' excitement deflated, "Oh..." began Casey, "Yeah...Caitlyn and Biddy were...great students here."

"Biddy?" questioned Ladybug.

"Barbara's nickname," answered Lacey, eyeing her sister who glanced back at her, "She hated to be called Barbara. So what do you want to know about them?"

"What were they like?" Ladybug asked, taking note of Casey physically shrinking behind her sister.

"They were..." Casey's eyes shifted left and right, searching for the right words, "Energetic. Competitive. Pretty. They always had dates."

"Yeah~ 'dates' if that's what you want to call them," sneered Lacey. Her twin gasped and covered Lacey's mouth, "Don't mind her! She just upset about what happen. Hehehe, Caitlyn and Barbara were...ARE great people! They're smart and talented and..."

"Stop," Ladybug held up her hands to halt the stammering sister. She heard _this_ story already with the parents and could probably guess why Casey was reciting it, too, "Listen, I'm not with the media, or the school staff or Caitlyn's and Barbara's parents. Whatever you tell me will not leave this room, but I need you to tell me the truth so I can help catch who attack them."

The twins glanced at once another and Lacey took the lead, "Good, glad I can trust you because those two were the most wretched, cold-hearted witches we've _EVER_ had the displeasure of meeting!"

Casey looked down, ashamed but not opposing her sister's words, "They're the granddaughters of famous generals who served in the first World War and earned the medaille militaires. Although they're not wealthy, they do have bloodline and are highly regarded in the school."

"And because of that, they act like they're the queens of this school," ranted Lacey, waving her arms in anger, "Everyone hates them but can't do anything since the school turns a blind eye to their acts because of who their dead relatives were."

"Let me guess: classic mean girls?" Ladybug pictured Chloe's attitude with these girl's faces, "Spoiled, arrogant, loves making people miserable?"

Lacey smirked, "Good, you understand what we're dealing with too. Caitlyn and Barbara ruled this school but they were never friends. In fact, they hated sharing the so-called crown of the Queen Bee status. Always tried to one-up the other with competitive dating."

Ladybug did a double take, "I'm sorry, what?"

"It's a game between the two," spoke Casey, "To see who can get the most and better looking dates. They dated boys from neighboring school, older guys, other girl's boyfriends..." That last part came out as a hiss, Casey's hand clenched tighten while Lasey patted her back, "They didn't discriminate."

"So did you ever meet their dates?" Marinette leaned closer to them. If these girls saw the last guy that Barbara and Caitlyn went with, she and Chat might have a lead. Maybe a description would help.

"Oh yeah, we saw _all_ their dates," complained Lacey, "They never bothered to hide their abilities to trap guys. Though their last dates were pretty strange."

"What do you mean," edged Ladybug.

Casey took this lead and her cheeks turn bright red, "They were so gorgeous! And nice! They were like the perfect future husbands that all girls dream of! Biddy always bragged about how her date picked up the bill no matter how expensive the meal was, showered her with jewelry and gifts, even helped with all her insane shopping without a complaint!"

Marinette listen to the twins as they complained about how awful the victims were and how perfect their last dates were, describing them thoroughly. There was a link between the girls: horrible, spoiled personality with a 'perfect' dates. Perhaps that how the perpetrator lured them, pretend to be this perfect gentlemen then attacking them when their guards are down. Nancy, Barbara, and Caitlyn seem to have similar personality and dated frequently, Amanda probably did too.

"Thanks for the info, you've been a big help," stated Ladybug, getting up from her chair, "Do you mind if I come back if I need to ask any more questions?"

"Sure!" exclaimed Casey, "And maybe bring Chat Noir too?"

Ladybug laughed, "Sure, Chat would love to meet his fans."

Casey squealed while her sister playfully rolled her eyes and went to escort the masked girl out. Halfway through the doorway, Ladybug halt and turn to Lacey, "Oh, one more thing! Did Biddy or Caitlyn act strangely before their dates?"

"You mean being something other than a cruel and sarcastic bitch? No," replied Lacey, "They were still the same, 'cept a bit groggy. But that's normal for them. They always stayed out late when they were out with their boy-toy dates."

"I see, thanks!" Ladybug waved goodbye to the twins and started headed towards the exit, only to run into a large crowd of students all holding up cameras and autograph books.

* * *

 "Ugh!" Marinette threw herself onto her bed, "I can't believe I spent an hour taking photos and signing stuff. My hand is still cramping!"

Tikki, unfused and happily munching on the Dupain-Cheng's famous chocolate-dipped coconut-almond macaron, giggled at her Miraculous holder, "But you made all those girls happy! And you manage to get more information for the case too!"

Marinette sighed, while taking photos she had asked the students what they thought of their comatose classmates. After the same runaround, the girls finally admitted that they hated them and some were actually glad they were gone. Of course, the ones who had said that were the girls that had their boyfriends stolen, but it still didn't change the facts. So far, all Marinette knew what that these girls had horrible personalities and were dating handsome guys before they fell into their comas.

Unfortunately, that was all the information she could get. Tikki had been unable to detect any presence of an akuma near or around the school. "I'm not giving up," declared Marinette, pushing herself upright on her bed, "I made a promise to find out who did this to these girls! I don't care how mean or bad these girls were, no one deserved to be attacked like this!"

"That's the spirit!" cheered the little kwami, "Now why don't we apply that spirit to your literature homework."

Marinette groaned, throwing herself back on the bed, "No~ I give up!"

Tikki laughed, "Come on, what happen to that can-do attitude?" The red and black kwami gentle tugged at Marinette's pigtails, "The faster you get this done, the faster you can get to bed."

She huffed but Marinette reluctantly got up and shuffled towards her desk. She had to finish reading the retelling of La Belle au bois dormant and compare it to the Brother Grimm's version, Little Briar Rose. The two versions were similar but the French version had a second part involving a evil Queen but ends happily just the same. Thankfully, Marinette was able to finish the report in a short time and started changing into her pajamas.

She then jolted in alarm, "Shoot! I forgot to call Chat!"

"It's too late now," stated Tikki, pointing at the clock, "You can call him after class tomorrow. I'm sure he can wait."

"I guess..." said Marinette, crawling under her covers. She felt bad about not bring Chat Noir up to speed but she had a mental note to leave a message in the morning. After reassuring herself, she left herself drifted asleep, Tikki snuggling in the crook of her neck.

* * *

 "Wow, so the Amazing Marinette can finish her homework AND come to school on time," teased Alya.

Marinette yawn loudly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Very funny, Alya."

Alya laughed and patted her friend on the back as they made their way towards the school. Alya had came earlier to the bakery to tell Marinette the latest news: Ladybug and Chat Noir were on the Sleeping Beauties case! Due to the influx of photos and tweets about Ladybug visting the boarding school of two of the victims, Alya had started contacting some of the students there to get the full scoop.

Unsurprisingly, the students were very open about Ladybug's visit, how she asked about their comatose classmates, talking to Biddy's & Caitlyn's roommates, and how nice she was to take photos with them. The Ladyblog was quickly updated with information given by the students and links to news articles dealing with the Sleeping Beauties case. Alya even added a page titled 'Fan Speculations', where members could input their own thoughts, opinions and theories on the case.

"I'm sure Ladybug will solve the case soon," boasted Alya, typing on her phone, "I'm guessing that this is the work of an akuma that was jilted by their lover and now wants revenge by attacking these girls. But I'm still not sure of the pattern. Maybe something in their personalities or mannerism...?"

' _If the guy is attacking girls with horrible personalities then I need to be on the look out for anyone that could become his next victim_ ,' thought Marinette, walking through the school's entryway, ' _Whoever it is, I need to keep them protected_...'

"Sabrina, reschedule my entire weekend plans," barked Chloe, strolling up the stairs, her faithful companion behind her, holding both her books, Chloe's books and Chloe's Chanel purse, "Since daddy refuse to lift mine and Adrien's curfew, I need to squeeze in as much time for us the spend together this Saturday before his Sunday photoshoot. Plus you need to redo our project, it was too sloppy and you didn't perfect my handwriting so the teacher thinks I did it..."

' _Or I can wait until he gets to Chloe and_ then _stop him_ ,' Marinette smiled but then shook her head at that terrible thought. Chloe might be the cruelest person she knew and a bully to everyone that didn't fit her standards, but even she didn't deserve to fall prey to such a fate. No matter how much Marinette, and practically everyone, wished it.

Alya and Marinette rushed towards their classroom and into their seats before the bell rang. Everyone was already seated and talking to one another or doodling in their notebooks, waiting for their instructor to show up. Miss Bustier came into class a few seconds later, a smile on her face and a reddish-tint covering her cheeks, a far cry from the solemn look she had on yesterday. "Attention students," she called out, repeating it a second time until all eyes were on her.

"Before we get started with today's lesson, I have a very exciting news to share with you," Miss Bustier smiled, her cheeks turning bright pink, "Our school was selected to be part of a foreign exchange program with the Le Rosey boarding school."

Many students gasped, Marinette included. La Rosey was an insanely prestigious and exclusive boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland. Members of dynastic families, royalty, celebrities and children of multi-millionaires attended that school while others and often went on to become great people. The ones that didn't come from impressive backgrounds were either incredible talented, intelligent or just plain lucky. It was yet another school that Chloe complained about not getting into, registering for it five times and rejected every single time. Students at that school never wanted to leave since the school had everything a teen could want: field trips to exotic countries, celebrations for every holidays, activities like horseback riding and skiing,and school parties like Gala balls and festivals.

Marinette couldn't image why anyone from such a school would want to come to their little institution. Sure it was one of France's famed private schools, catering to students from wealthy or well-known backgrounds, but it was tiny compared to the other schools, especially to La Rosey. Why here? Why them? What was so special about this school? ' _Or maybe I'm thinking too much into this_ ,' Marinette shook off her thoughts and turned her attention back to her teacher.

"Everyone, please give a warm welcome to our new classmate, Hector Boucher," Miss Bustier waved her had towards the door, beckoning the new student to enter.

Every single girl's mouths drop and eyes widened when their new classmates enter. Hector Boucher might have well been carved from marble stone, he was just so gorgeous. Standing in at 5'9 with flawless tan skin, piercing hazel eyes and a muscular lean built, Hector could give any model in France, Adrien Agreste included, a run for their money. He was dressed impeccably too with designer jeans, long-sleeved t-shirt, sneakers and a beige sling backpack.

He smiled, flashing his picture-perfect smile that made the girls swoon. "Thanks so much for having me," his voice hypnotic, running his finger through his short, chestnut colored hair, "I really hope we can get along."

Marinette felt her heart speed up a bit, but that was nothing compared to her female classmates. Chloe looked close to drooling but quickly composed herself, checked her mirror and tried to look as attractive and seductive as she thought she was. Rose and Juleka looked star-strucked, while Mylène tried hard not to blush. Even Alya looked enamored by the Boucher boy. Most the guys looked indifferent and gave Hector a friendly wave but didn't ignore the looks the girls gave him.

"Please take a seat in the back, next to Nathaniel," said Mme. Bustier, pointing towards the empty seat next to the redhaired artist, "And we can start on today's lessson."

Hector nodded and made his way to the back. Chloe batted her eyes and waved at him as he walked by her, making it apparent her feelings towards him. He walked passed Marinette and Alya, giving a small wave to the blushing blogger who bite her bottom lip, cheeks turning darker. Marinette smiled back as well but avoided eye contact, looking down as he made his way passed them.

She felt a crawling sensation down her spine as he did.

* * *

 Infiltrating the school had been far too easy; forging documents, brown nosing the principal and flirting with the receptionist and he was in. Transforming into a student, however, was a difficult matter. He needed to blend it but, at the same time, stand out enough to find a suitable candidate. Researching the male students at Collège Françoise Dupont was simple enough, the only competition he had was the son of a famed French designer.

With his powers, he could alter his appearance, become younger, fairer and more beautiful than was humanly possible. Such a wonderful power to seduce easy prey. Shifting his body, he watch the darkness consume him, molding his body into his desired look. Previous versions would not work as they were older and made to be his former victims' 'dream boyfriend'. This body would be seductive and handsome to ensnare any female near him, young and old. He would become a spider, catching all the female flies foolish enough to be caught in this web and then, only then, would he weed out his intended prey.

' _Shame I don't know Ladybug's true identity_ ,' he smugly thought, ' _I could just go after her directly_.'

Ladybug, the angel of Paris. She was the only true danger in his plan. Though the voice wanted both Ladybug's and Chat Noir's Miraculous, Noir was only good for brawns while his Ladybug was the brains of the duo. He was confident in his plan: find a kind-hearted & beautiful girl, absorb her life-energy, go after the Lucky Duo, take out Ladybug first than Chat Noir. Simple yet secure. Unlike the other villains, he didn't go charging towards the Lucky Duo after his transformation. No, he bid his time, collecting energy, power, concocted a plan and waited for the perfect time to strike. He wouldn't fail, not like the rest.

' _And when I succeed_ ,' he though, ' _You will fulfill your end of the bargain_.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, really long chapter, wanted to get the investigation out of the way before getting back to the school setting. Most of the action and drama will be going on in school. Lots of manipulation will be happening in the next few chapter and, again, this will get dark. Remember, any and all criticism and help would be appreciated (and I mean helpful criticism, not hate!) so if I got some character traits or personality wrong, please let me know so I can make some changes.


	3. Popularity

Much like Adrien's first day, it didn't take long for Hector Boucher to become an instant school celebrity. When class ended, every girl in class swarmed him. And once he exited the classroom, the entire female population surrounded him, asking who he is, what year was he in and if he have a girlfriend. Chloe, of course, had her arms wrapped around him and offered to escort him across the campus, stating how she would 'personally' give him a tour of their school.

Alya and Marinette were the only girls that stayed back as the sea of females followed the transfer student out into the campus. Alya snickered, "Wow, that sure didn't take long."

"What? The fact that the guy attracted more girls than honey with flies," asked Nino, "Or that fact that Chloe got her claws in him before any other girl did?"

"Both!" the blogger answered, slinging her backpack over her shoulders, "But you've got to admit, he's one hell of a looker. Might give you a run for your money, model boy?"

Adrien rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. His status as a model and son of the famed Gabriel Agreste had gotten him many admirers, both in and out of school. Just like his first day, he was approached by multiple girls, all fans of either his or his father's work, so he sympathize with Hector. Honestly, he really didn't care about popularity or how many fans he had, all he really wanted was friends, his dad's acknowledgement and the love of his Lady, but he could wait for that last part. He quickly packed up his stuff and left the room with Nino, both making their way towards next period class. Hector Boucher seemed like a nice person and he hoped that they could get to be friends before he leaves.

"What about, Mari?" asked Alya as she and her designer friend walk out the room and towards their next class, "Your thoughts on our new Swiss student?"

Marinette smile, but couldn't shake that crawling sensation she felt when he walked passed her, "He seems nice."

"Just nice?" teased Alya, "Nothing else?"

"I don't know him, Alya," replied Marinette, "I mean, sure he's really gorgeous and he was friendly at the beginning but it's not like I know him on first glance."

"Well you sure were different when Adrien transfer in," Alya smirked.

The young designer's face turned bright red. True, when Adrien first entered their class last autumn, Marinette felt head-over-heels in love and that love steadily grew as time pass and she got to know him more. He was just so perfect: handsome and kind-hearted, son of one of her idols, he was a shining star that she looked up to every night. Weird and somewhat obsessive, but she couldn't help how fast her heart beats when he's near or how she stutters when he looks in her direction.

Hector Boucher may be handsome and elite, but her heart would steadfastly remain to Adrien. "Come one," blushed Marinette, hooking her arm around Alya's arm, "We're going to be late for Calculus II."

* * *

 "Please, Chloe, you've done so much," said Hector, his arm still ensnared by Chloe's hands, her fingers firmly wrapped around his bicep, "I shouldn't intrude."

Chloe laughed, "Oh it's fine! Sabrina doesn't mind," she turned to her redheaded assistant', "Leave!"

Sabrina squeaked but meekly obeyed and moved towards the back, allowing Hector to take her seat next to Chloe. Other females tried to find seats closest to the new boy, but only Rose and Juleka could claim the tablet behind them while Adrien and Nino had the table next to them. Discouraged, the rest of the girls made their way towards their own seats just as Alya, Marinette and their instructor entered the doorway.

Hector didn't disappoint his instructor with his intelligence. His La Rosey education was top-notch, getting every equation correct on the first try, making his popularity rise by each problem asked. His voice was melodic, having every female hung on his every word, shushing anyone that tried to raise their own voice. Despite his perfection, Marinette was more focused on the Sleeping Beauties case. During the lesson, Marinette had tried to go over her notes on the victims. So far, she only managed to make a link with Caitlyn and Barbara, seeing as they were both students at the same school with similar personalities.

' _But what about the other girls_?' she thought, chewing on her pencil's eraser, ' _How did he go from one girl to the next? Was it random? Or did the victims know each other? Frequent the same clubs or went on similar dates? How did he get these girls alone to drain out their energy_?'

"Miss Dupain-Cheng!" barked the Calculus II instructor, "Would you get your head out of the clouds to answer the question?"

Marinette let out a tiny squeak as she was snapped back to reality. Her ears burned as she heard her classmates snicker all around her. She stuttered with an answer before Hector saved her by answering the question, then asking a question of his own. Thankfully, the instructor took his attention off Marinette and back onto Hector, the two animatedly talking about parametric equations and curves. Marinate quickly slid down in her seat, shuffling the notes she had on the case back into her bag. She decided to put the case away while in school, just to avoid another humiliating scene like that.

"You're so incredible, Hector," purred Chloe, battling her eyes at him.

Hector flashed his Hollywood smile, "Thank you, Chloe. That's so flattering coming from a sweet girl such as yourself."

Alya struggled to keep in a laugh at Hector's naiveté while Marinette wanted to gag. Hector wasn't yet exposed to Chloe's true nature, thought that bit with Sabrina should have tipped him off. Chloe took this compliment in full and attempted to snuggle up to him, continuous flirting with him and bragging about her status as the mayor's daughter. Nino snickered underneath his breath while nudging at Adrien, who looked uncomfortable with Chloe blatant display of affection. Whether Hector liked the attention or tolerated it was anyone's guess, he kept a stoic but serene face on that made it hard to decipher. Hector's fan girls, the ones that were in the class, glared daggers at Chloe but didn't say anything due to her influence.

The rest of the day went about the same as in class: Hector showcasing his brilliance, Chloe shamelessly flirting with him, girls flocking to him whenever Chloe wasn't around, repeat. Marinette sighed in relief once the school day concluded and everyone started leaving the grounds. Marinate already made plans to visit the other victims' schoolmates and friends to see what they saw or if they notice anything different. Alya waited for the bluenette near the door, making small talk with Hector, ignoring the glaring Chloe hanging off him. From the tiny snippets she could hear, Alya was talking about her blog site and her plans on going on a 'Ladyhut', meaning she was going to follow Ladybug and Chat Noir to capture footage for her site.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are quite the celebrities back home," stated Hector, "Switzerland doesn't have any superheroes or villains and seeing how close we are to France, many of my classmates are obsessed with them. We've read about them all the time in the papers and on the Ladyblog. Quite a surprise and an honor to be meeting the creator. You're incredible dedicated reporter."

Alya's cheeks darken, her smile more bashful and humble than what Marinette was used to, "Oh it's nothing. The Ladyblog is my personal project and the Lucky Duo are France's most important and mysterious figures. I've been trying to figure out their identities for almost a year."

' _Don't we all know it_ ,' thought Marinette, remembering all the close encounters she and Chat had with Alya's sneakiness and persistence.

"Well Ladybug has saved me countless times," bragged Chloe, tugging on Hector's arm, eager to get his attention back on her, "In fact, you could say that Ladybug and I are best friends! She had to protect me from all the villains, she even said I was adorable!"

' _We had to protect you because you were the cause of so many akuma-ized villains_!' Marinette screamed in her head, images of Kim, Nathaniel, Officer Roger, Mylene, Alya, Alix and countless others she has angered, sadden or humiliated to attract Hawk Moth's butterflies, ' _And don't you understand sarcasm_?'

Hector and Alya continued chatting for a bit before Chloe yanked him away from the blogger and dragged him out the door. Marinette couldn't help but notice the slight disappointment passing through Alya's eyes as Hector left. "He wanted to ask me if he could join in my Ladyhuts," she confessed.

Marinette winced, Alya was always super pumped when it came to getting the scoop of their city's superheroes. The problem was that she was often alone during these 'hunts' of her's. Most of her classmates were either busy or had other plans to do, Nino was usually the one that helped her but he had become busier these last months. Marinette had accompany her in a few of her stakeouts too, but with no results or sighting of her favorite red-and-black-spotted super heroine. They spotted Chat Noir once but he never did anything other than patrol the rooftops. After all, you can't really find Ladybug if she's right next to you!

Her blogger friend never made such a big deal about doing a solo stakeout, Alya kinda took pride in her tenacity. But she did confess that it was lonely when she didn't have anyone to share in her excitement when she did spot Ladybug. Marinette patted her on the back, "Chloe can't keep her claws on him 24/7. I sure he would love to see you in all your natural Ladybug-hunting habitat."

Alya laughed and gently pushed Marinette, "Oh, so now you're gonna play matchmaker with me? I though we agreed that's my job."

"Considered it payback for all those times you tried to push Adrien on me," sassed Marinette.

Speak of the devil, Adrien heard his name and turned towards the girls, "Yes," he said, his voice causing Marinette to freeze up, "You called me?"

"Oh, hey Adrien," replied Alya, wrapping her arm around Marinette's shoulder, keeping her blushing friend from escaping, "Marinette and I were just talking about your photoshoot this week. It's for your dad's Fall Collection, right?"

Adrien smiled, Marinette felt her insides melting, "Yeah, dad finished his collection early and wanted to do some early modeling so Natalie could start working on the spreadsheets for L'Officiel and Vouge."

"Meaning he'll be stuck all day with bossy photographers and whiny models," Nino concluded, mimicking Alya and tossing his arm around Adrien's shoulders, "Good thing he has me to help him out if things gets too wild for poor Adrien here."

Alya and Nino let out a good laugh while Adrien looked bashful at his predicament. Marinette felt her legs quiver under her weight, mouth going dry and her heart ready to burst. ' _Say something_!' she screamed in her head as her eyes were trained on Adrien, the way his lips curled up, the twinkle in his eye as he spoke happily with Nino, how cute his nose crinkle when he laughs, ' _Don't stand there like an idiot! This is your chance to make him notice you_!'

"What about you, Marinette?" quizzed Adrien, turning his attention to the French-Asian bluenette, "What are your plans for the weekend?"

"Uh..." Marinette wanted to smack herself for that answer, "J-just helping my parents in the shop. Lots of orders coming in for the holidays so they need all the help they can get and I'll be on baking and delivering duties, nothing special or anything just carrying boxes of sweets all day all over town to house and parties..." She started to trail off, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Yeah, the Dupain-Chengs are swamped with deliveries for Armistice Day plus all the early catering orders for Christmas and New Years parties," pipped Alya, saving Marinette from further embarrassment, "Same goes with my mom who's been busy at the restaurant."

"Sorry to hear that," smiled Nino, "Maybe next week we can all go see a movie, unwind from all the negative things that been happening around Paris."

"Are you talking about the Sleeping Beauties?" asked Alya, "Didn't you hear? Ladybug and Chat Noir are already on the case. They'll probably crack the case before the police do."

Marinette groaned internally, she really hope Alya didn't post anything like that on her blog. Who knows how many of her followers were connected or related to the police? Nino and Adrien bid the two girls goodbye and left the room. Alya and Marinette soon followed suit and Alya continued to talk about her own theories on the Sleeping Beauties case. In the front of the school, like clockwork, was the Agreste limo waiting to pick up Adrien. Standing near it was Hector, Chloe, who was still latched onto the new boy's arm like a leech, and Sabrina, still holding Chloe's books and bag.

"Adrikins!" chirped Chloe, using her free hand to wave at her childhood friend, "Come here for a second."

Adrien reluctantly came towards her, "Hey, Chloe. What's up?"

"I was telling Hector here about your amazing modeling career and he's really curious about the business," cooed the blonde, "Why don't the three of us go to your modeling shoot this Sunday and you can tell him all about the business? Maybe Hector and I can do some modeling, after all they do couple shoots for magazine. Oh and we can do some too, Adrien."

Alya faked gagged as they passed them by, "She's not even trying to be subtle!" Marinette frowned, leave it to Chloe to try to string along two guys. The girl might as well be a walking target for the Parisain Incubus! Despite her bitterness, Marinette knew that if Chloe did become the next target, Ladybug would have no choice but to protect her until either her, Chat Noir or the police capture perp.

"Uh, I don't know about that, Chloe," began Adrien, looking uncomfortable. He had made the unfortunate mistake of bring Chloe to a couple of his photoshoots previously, every one of them becoming disasters! First, Chloe got incredible jealous whenever a female model had to pose with Adrien, claiming she was too 'comfortable' with him, then she got into arguments with the photographers and directors because of the female models around him. Chloe proceed to start bossing around the staff, complain to the guards and practically piss off everyone, causing one of the assistants to contact Gabriel Agreste directly and have Chloe banned from the shoot until it was complete. It was one of the most humiliating moments he had to suffer through, not counting the lecture he got from his father.

"Oh, it will be fine," smiled Chloe, patting Hector on the arm, "Plus I'm sure the photographers would want to get his hands on gorgeous Hector here!"

"Sorry, I hope I'm not being too much of a bother," said Hector, looking a bit bashful, "My mom used to have a short stint in the modeling business before becoming a magazine editor for Cosmopolitan. Just some curiousity of mine."

"Well...I guess it would be fine if you stay for a couple of hours," agreed Adrien, smiling awkwardly as Chloe shrieked in glee and Hector smiled. He made a mental note to warn his photographer in advance of Chloe's arrival.

"Great! Sabrina! Re-do my schedule for the week," she barked, her meek assistant fumbling for her notebook while balancing Chloe's things.

Adrien smile faded a bit, "Yeah, great...well I see you both later," he waved as he entered into his family's limo and drove off.

Marinette frowned, of course Chloe would hog all of Adrien's attention and free time. "Don't worry, either one or both of them will get tired of her eventually," chirped Alya, trying to cheer her discouraged friend up, "They can't stay oblivious to her nastiness forever."

"Yeah, you're right!" stated Marinette, trying to pump herself and keep her spirits high. "Come on, I'll give you some eclairs and macaroon for your Ladyhut."

"And that is one of the many reasons you, Marinette, are my best friend," Alya tightly hugged her as the two headed towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

* * *

 Ladybug raced across the rooftops until she reached her destination: the home of Patricia Harlow's, victim #10, best friend, Eleanor Walker. She had called the girl's mother to set up an appointment, which itself was a challenge since the mother thought it was a scam. After an hour of trying convince her, Mrs. Walker just hung up so Marinette found the address from tracing the phone call. The apartment was small but cozy, typical of a normal Parisian family.

Chat Noir was running late but gave the go-ahead to her and stated that he would meet her at the Walker home later. Taking in a deep breath, Ladybug rang the doorbell, hearing the faint barks of a dog and rock music playing through the door. After a few seconds, a middle-age woman with salt-and-pepper hair, brown eyes and tired skin opened the door, wearing a t-shirt, jeans and an stained apron over it. She looked shocked by the superhero standing in her doorway, a little puppy-mutt was at her feet, barking and waving his tail up at her.

Ladybug gave a polite wave, "Hi, Mrs. Walker, correct? I called earlier."

"That was-oh, dear, I'm so sorry!" she stammered, "I thought that...please come in! Again I'm so sorry, we've been having issues with the police and the media and other people...would you like something to drink?"

"It's fine, Mrs. Walker, I don't want to be a burden," Ladybug said, crouching down to pat the little dog, the name tag read 'Molly', "I just want to speak with your daughter, Eleanor, about her friend's, Patricia's, incident."

"I-I'll go get her!" she stated, walking towards the back where the music was coming from. After a few minutes, the music abruptly cut off, followed by some shouts and footsteps retreating back into the doorway.

"Mom, please! I don't want to talk to the cops again...OMG, Ladybug!" Eleanor Walker was a bright eyed brunette with red stripes in her hair and smoky eye shadow makeup. She wore distressed jeans, beat-up sneakers and a bright yellow tank top, a similar fashion to her classmate and friend Patricia.

"Hello Eleanor," began Ladybug, "I just wanted to ask you about..."

"I can't believe it!" shrieked Eleanor, cutting off Marinette, "THE Ladybug in MY house, playing with MY puppy and wanting to talk to ME! This is like a dream come true! Oh those bitches in school will be sooo jealous!"

"Elli!" screamed her mother before turning to Ladybug, "I am so sorry about that! Eleanor just _forgets_ her manner when she gets too excited. Please, please, come in. You'll catch a cold out there."

The Walker's apartment was very homey with the comfy couch, coffee table with magazine, cream color walls and dozen of wall planters filled with herbs and flowers, filling the air in sweet aromas. Eleanor plopped down on a lazy boy while her mother and Ladybug took to the couch. Mrs. Walker offered again the masked teen something to drink but she politely decline and thanked her for her offer.

"I know that you and your daughter were interviewed by the police but I would like to ask you some addition questions concerning Patricia Harlow," stated Ladybug, turning to Eleanor, "You two are friends, right?"

"Eh, I guess you can call it that," groaned Eleanor, "We've been neighbors and classmates since primary school and we hung out a bit, but we weren't really close. She's a bit too...spoiled, for my taste."

"Patricia was going through a phase," added Mrs. Walker, hushing her daughter, "Going out late, dating older men, stealing her father's credit card, drinking, her poor parents didn't know what to do."

"Have you met any of Patricia's dates or did she mention any boys to you two?" Ladybug asked.

The mother and daughter looked at each other and shook their heads, until Mrs. Walker spoke, "Wait! I remember talking to Patricia's mother, told me her daughter started seeing this nice boy. Real gentleman, very sweet, handsome, she was so proud and said that he would steer Patricia onto a good path. I can't believe I forgot about that..."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, she was bragging about snagging this really hot and wealthy guy before her incident," said Eleanor, "Wouldn't shut up about him and flashed his photo around like a trophy."

'Spoiled girl with handsome gentleman date, just like Caitlyn and Barbara,' thought Ladybug, then something popped into her head, "This boy that Mrs. Harlow talked about, was it just one date or was it a series of dates."

"Uh...dating! Yes, they were definitely dating for about a week before Patricia was attack," answered Mrs. Walker.

"Did Patricia act weird before her incident?" Ladybug asked Eleanor, "Did she look sick or started acting out of character?"

"Tired," blurted Eleanor, "Really tired, like she'd been up all night partying and got hit with a major hangover. Though it wasn't really strange for Patty, she did shit like that."

"Eleanor!" scolded Mrs. Walker, "Language! I'm so sorry, Ladybug, she's just..."

Marinette put up her hand in surrender, "Don't worry about it, Mrs. Walker. I'm not offended. Please, may we continue..."

Ladybug was cut off by faint arguing coming from outside, one female and one male, both extremely familiar to her. She and the Walkers exited the building to find Chat Noir, in all his leather-and-cat-eared glory, trying to escape from a camera wielding Alya. The blogger pushed the camera into his face, blasting him with questions about the case and their involvement with the Sleeping Beauties. Poor Chat looked confused and uneasy with the questions and was stumbling with his words.

Ladybug sighed and walked over to help the poor kitty. Getting closer, Marinette could make out the questions that were being asked. "...any suspects that may be involved with the victims? Do you have any clue who may become a next victim? Have you and Ladybug discovered a pattern that ties the victims together? Are you and Ladybug in contact with the police..."

"Sorry! Can't divulge any info at the time," said Chat Noir, trying desperately to avoid Alya but the blogger was persistent!

Thankfully for Chat, Ladybug quickly snatched the camera, "I'm sorry but we're gonna have to cut this interview short."

"My Lady," smiled Chat Noir, quickly ducking behind his partner, "Your timing is impeccable."

"Wait, you have to tell me something," cried Alya, grabbing her camera back, "Come on, the people of Paris need to know if you've made any progress. Please! At least tell me if you're actually on the case."

Ladybug squirmed nervously under her friend's gaze while Chat Noir was glomped on by Eleanor, taking selfies with her partner. "I can't really tell you anything concrete but yes, my and Chat are trying to help the police find who is responsible for the Sleeping Beauties attacks."

Alya smiled, "Knew it! Anything else you can tell me?" She lifted her camera to Ladybug's face.

Marinette gave a weary smirk and gently pushed the camera away, "Sorry, can't tell you any more."

"You can interview me!" exclaimed Eleanor, moving towards Alya, "Ladybug already interview me and I would happy to talk to you. This is going online right? Let me freshen up a bit and I can tell you what I know."

Chat Noir and Ladybug looked at each other an 'are-you-kiddin'-me' look before they left inconspicuously, leaving Alya with the bragging Eleanor and the tired Mrs. Walker. The two made great distance until the neared the center of Paris and stopped to catch their breath. Ladybug quickly brought Chat up to speed, her interview with the twin roommates and her latest interview with Eleanor and her mother.

"So the perp is going after pretty girls with horrible personalities by pretending to be some handsome dream guy," concluded Chat Noir.

"That's the pattern I've found with Nancy, Caitlyn, Barbara and Patricia. Bet you a box of macarons and mendiants it's the same with the other girls," replied Ladybug, pulling out her compact yo-yo and pulled up the internet tag, "Did some research on some of the more influential victims: Sophia Labelle is a fixture on Paris's nightclubs, both good and bad depending on who you talk to. Goes in and out with different guys. Jennifer Marie Talbott is known as the 'celebrity dater', hooks up with models, actors and has three DUIs in the last two years. Amanda Bisset was difficult to check out, due to her father's connection, but I manage to find some news articles about her crashing some visiting movie star's party and getting arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct at a bar."

"Bad girls," whistled Chat Noir, "And now all in comas. Jilted lover?"

"For a week of dating? Don't think so," replied Ladybug, scrolling down the articles, "I'm not certain, but this has to be the work of an akuma-infected person. There's no way a normal human perp could seduce all these girls, put them in these comas and keep them all in that state without any of them waking up or having any trace evidence on them."

"So what do propose we do?" asked Chat Noir, sliding next to his Lady and taking a peek at her compact, "We can continue interviewing the people close to the victims but what will that get us? I think the pattern is pretty clear, plus it's not like a description will help up if the guy can change his appearance."

"You're right," exasperated Ladybug, "And it's not like we can warn people! What are we gonna say? 'Girls with personalities as cold as icy are being targeted so avoid dating hot, perfect guys?' Yeah, that will help."

The red-and-black-spotted superhero lead against a brick wall and slide down, exhausted with the limited information she had. Chat Noir, unable to see his partner in such a state, slid next to her, "Don't worry. We'll find whosoever doing this and free those girls."

"When? When he finds his next victim?" grumbled Ladybug, "And how long will that take? Amanda Bisset was found just a few days ago. How long until another girl is found in an alley or in some gutter?"

The next few seconds shocked Marinette as Chat wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. "We'll find him, My Lady. Don't worry," he stated, almost as if his words were the truth, then shifted to his teasing tone, "Who knows, maybe the perp in our own class?"

Ladybug laughed at the ridiculousness of that statement, "Yeah right..." she trailed off sarcastically, "And maybe the Parisian Incubus will go after me and you'll be the knight-in-shining-armour coming in to save the day."

"Don't knights-in-shining-armour save young princesses," teased Chat Noir, " My Lady, you are a queen and I your faithful King."

"Well 'King Noir'," she said, getting up and removing herself from Chat's arms, "How about helping your queen with the next interview. We'll be meeting Sophia Labelle's friends at their favorite nightclub in ten minutes. Oh, and do be careful, Labella and her friends are BIG fans of yours."

Chat Noir groaned at that information, he had meet Sophia Labelle as Adrien once at a function with his father and it was enough for him to never want to be withing fifty feet of the girl. She was like Chloe but worse! Age didn't bother the girl as she was nineteen when she met his thirteen-year-old self and started flirting with him, much to Mr. Agreste disgust and the Labelle's embarrassment. Plus all the heavy makeup, perfume and drinking was enough to have Sophia barred from seeing Adrien again. If Sophia's friends were anything like her, he was tempted to sit this one out.

But as his beloved Lady started swinging across the Parisian sky teasing him into a race, he followed suit, unable to resist. ' _Maybe I can convince her to play couple with me while we're there_.'

* * *

 Sunday come far too quickly for Adrien's liking. The interview with Sophia's friends had been a nightmare as they were all obsessive and were attempting to flirt and rub up against him. As Chat Noir, his senses were heighten to that of a cat, so he nearly drowned in stagnant smell of perfume the girls wore, forcing him to leave the room halfway through for air. Ladybug didn't get much luck either as the girls were too defensive about themselves and proceeded to bash on Sophia to save face. Though they did confirm the pattern they already had: spoiled girl dating handsome guy. Once home, Plagg spent an entire hour hissing at him for the torture his nose and ears went through and only a bucket, a literal bucket, of camembert was able persuade the kwami to shut up. Yet despite the nine hour sleep, Adrien was still drained.

But, ever the loyal and obedient son, he followed schedule like clockwork: wake up, shower, dress, eat breakfast and head to the photoshoot location. Nino had already texted him, stating that he would meet him at the photoshoot later and planned on picking up a few things on the way. Same with Chloe, who told him that she had Hector with her and were in her father's car and heading towards the shoot.

Natalie was seated inside the limo when Adrien entered, sending last minute files and texts to the head photographer and warning him of the 'guests' they will be having. Yes, Natalie found out about Chloe's 'invitation' and had informed both the shoot director and his father who, surprise, was greatly upset by this and told Natalie to tell his son to keep an eye on the Bourgeois girl.

"Why did you invite her?" questioned Natalie, the angry undertone was audible, "The last time she came one of our prime photographers blew up and walked off the set! The entire thing would have gone to piece if he didn't have that extra photographer there! Your father asked you not to invite her to the shoots anymore."

"I didn't!" argued Adrien, "She...sorta invited herself and a classmate."

Natalie shook her head, mumbling about the ridiculousness of the situation and start texting the staff to have a separate trailer room ready for Miss Bourgeois, if only to keep her out of the way until the shoot was done. Since he was modeling the new Fall line, the location would be set in the Luxembourg Garden which had started reflecting the changing seasons beautifully with the orange and yellow trees and autumn flowers. The entire place was roped off for the shoot and only badged staff, security and models were allowed to roam the place.

Standing near the entrance, arguing with a burly security guard, was Chloe who was decked out in an expensive white tennis dress with yellow bolero jacket over it and a pair of yellow pumps. Behind her stood Sabrina, ever the faithful assistant, and Hector, who was dressed more comfortably with jeans and a polo shirt. Adrien groaned, leave it to Chloe to dress up way too fancy, cause a scene and drag her classmates into it.

"This is unacceptable! I was invited here by Adrien Agreste himself!" proclaimed Chloe, hands on her hips and stomping her feet, before turning to Sabrina and Hector, giving them this pathetic display of submission, "Please, tell him it's true! You were there when Adrien begged me to come!"

Sabrina, readily agreed, adding that the security guard was overstepping his boundaries as he wasn't 'official' and Chloe was a lifelong friend of the Agreste and the major's daughter. Hector, smartly, stayed quiet and let the two girls do all the talking, staying a safe distance away from the fuming guard who looked ready to burst. Thankfully for them, Adrien and Natalie walk up and waved Chloe, Sabrina and Hector inside. Once inside, Chloe took Adrien in one hand and Hector in the other.

"Adrikins, you came just at the right moment," chirped Chloe, "You should really fire that security guard, he obviously doesn't know what he's doing. I mean, he didn't even recognized me! Major Bourgeois's daughter! That should tell you something. Poor Hector and me were stuck outside for hours in the hot sun!"

Adrien apologize to Chloe, much to Natalie's distaste, and told her about the trailer they ordered for her and that she could stay there during the shoot. Chloe happily agreed but stated that Sabrina could just stay there and guard her stuff as she refused to leave Adrien alone. Plus, she reminded them that she promised Hector to show him around the shoot and get him connections. Chloe then turned to Natalie and asked if she could do couple shots with Hector and Adrien, to which Natalie bluntly said no as there were limited film. A lie since they used digital but no one, not even Adrien, was going to tell her that.

The shoot went smoothly during the beginning, Adrien went into his makeup trailer, got him dressed and had him pose in front of the Medici Fountain for some full figure shots. Another wardrobe change and he started walking along the pathway, his shoes crunching under the fallen leaves, giving the photographer nice background shots. But halfway into the shoot, Chloe had gotten bored and dragged Hector away to give him a 'tour' of the place.

Hector was painfully aware that Chloe was clueless about the modeling business and basically made general statements about the people and places. "That's the makeup trailer where the makeover artists do the hair and face to make the models perfect for the shoot, as if they need to do anything to Adrien since he's so perfect," chattered Chloe, before waving towards another trailer, "And that's the equipment trailer where they keep all the camera and tripods and stuff. That over there is the wardrobe trailer where all of the Agreste clothing line is being held..."

He long since tuned her out and stared scoping the crowd. Majority of the staff were male, but there were a selected group of females, the model extras that were showcasing the Agreste line for females, walking about near the trailers. As one of them passed by, he could tasted her life-force: vain, jealousy and full of pride, identical to his former victims. While Chloe was blabbering away, he brushed his fingers against the female models exposed skin, a gentle caress too light to notice and absorbed a sliver of their energy. Not enough to feed his bottomless hunger but enough to satisfy him temporarily and not cause comatose, though they did feel more drowsy and appear visibly tired.

Another amazing ability he possessed, the mere touch of his could suck the life out of his prey. Holding hangs, soft caress, as long as it was skin-to-skin contact, he could force the energy out of them. However, the more intimate the contact, the more energy is drained. In fact, Chloe was visible getting paler, her eyelids growing heavier and began dragging her feet towards her trailer. Sabrina was already seated in the back as per ordered by Chloe when the blonde and Hector walked in. The redhead gasped as she saw her friend walk in, white in the face and visible tired.

"Oh my gosh, Chloe!" cried Sabrina, helping Chloe to stand steadily on her feet, "Are you okay?"

Chloe sneered and batted her away, "Do I look okay?" she hissed, "Ugh, I'm so tired. It's probably this long shoot that's taking forever. I need to lie down!"

Sabrina was puzzled, they had just arrived two hours ago and most of the time was just Chloe watching Adrien with Hector in the shade. Hector stayed silence as Sabrina helped Chloe to a pull-out bed and snuck out as soon as the blonde started barking out things she wanted. Once away from the two girls, Hector made his way towards the front where Adrien went through his nth's outfit change and doing a couple pose with a female model.

"Ugh, what is wrong with you!" chided the photographer, glaring at the female who was slouched over Adrien, "Someone get that girl some coffee or splash some water on her face! Or get me a new model! If you're not going to work, I can replace you."

The threat alerted the model and begged not to be let go. Hector recognize her as a model that had the unfortunate luck of walking passed him earlier, her posture showing how much of her life was stolen. Adrien calmed the girl down and quickly finished the shoot before the photographer could have another meltdown. Hector continued his feeding frenzy as the models flocked to him, a handsome male sans the company of a whiny blonde, and tried to become 'friendly' with.

Near the end of the the shoot, all the female models appeared drunk and hungover, causing the photographer on duty to verbally bash them. Hector walked over the Adrien who was setting down his latest partner who could barely stand on her legs without shaking. "Are you okay miss?" he answered in a gentle voice.

Looking up at him, a streak of red painted the model's cheek, "Y-yes, just very tired. I don't know why, I just had a cup of coffee an hour ago."

Adrien carefully set her down on a nearby chair before being pulled back towards the wardrobe trailer, Hector trailing close behind. Passing them was Natalie who was frantically trying to calm down Mr. Agreste who was informed about the problem, "Yes, sir...no, no we'll get the girls up and running...NO! No need to come down here! I'll take care of it!"

Adrien sighed, he has heard that threat multiple times but knew his father wouldn't act upon it. Too busy with his own work and just trying to scare Natalie into fixing the issue, a tactic that never failed. A few feet away, strolling down the set with a small box of pastries, was Nino who had gotten pass the burly security guard and heading straight for them. Adrien couldn't help but notice that the once angry guard was now happily munching on a eclair.

"Dude, what happened?" questioned Nino, motioning towards the models all laying limp in the pull-out chairs, "Everyone looks like the walking dead."

Adrien shook his head, "Don't know what's going on with them. One minute they're fine, the next they can barely stand up."

"Do you think it was something they ate?" chimed Hector, "I saw a lot of them hanging around the buffet table, maybe one of the dishes got spoiled."

One staffer overheard the suggestion and started barking to the caterers at the scene to taste-test the food in case of food poisoning or contamination. Natalie came by, looking frazzled as she ended the call with Mr. Agreste, "We going to cut the shoot early today and just finish with the male clothing line and do the female tomorrow morning with new models."

At this moment, the models started complaining and begging for another chance, but seeing how weak and tired they were, the complains were more moans and whines than anything else. Natalie hushed them with a glare and pushed Adrien back onto the shoot to wrap up the session. Nino sat next to Hector by the fountain, offering some of his treats. "Guess that means we have the rest of day free for us to hang out. Maybe we can go to Marinette's family bakery. I know they're busy but they have the best sweets in Paris."

Hector laughed, "Don't you think you've had enough," he said, pointing to the box.

Nino opened it to reveal only two, lone eclairs, "I only had enough to get one for the three of us, but had to bribe the security guard to let me in. Plus, I'm a family friend of Marinette and her folks, so I also get some stuff for free."

The Swiss student laughed before going silent and this pondering look, "Marinette...is she a student in our class?"

"Yeah, she the black & blue haired girl that sits next to Alya,"answered Nino, "Tiny Chinese-French girl with big blue eyes, wears black, white and pink."

"Oh yeah," said Hector, remembering the petite female, "Yes, Alya mentioned her. Never got the chance to introduce myself to her. She seems sweet."

Both boys were cut off when the director of the shoot barked out that the session was over and they would finish the female line tomorrow. Staffers ran around, packing the equipment and tending to the models who were slowly gaining their momentum and trying to convince Natalie that they could still work. Adrien, used to the fast pace of the modeling world, had already change back into his casual clothing and met up with the two, looking happier now that the shoot was over.

Running up to them, bumping and almost crashing into some of the workers, was Sabrina. "Sorry but Chloe has to go home now," Sabrina gasped, trying to catch her breath, "Her father has called for her driver to pick her up. It's awful Adrien, she practically fainted! She claims that one of the models must have poisoned her water out of jealous!"

While Sabrina ranted on about the ridiculous accusations Chloe had, Adrien looked a bit concerned. While Chloe wasn't the kindest person, she was still him childhood friend, "Maybe I should see her..."

"NO!" shrieked the redheaded assistant, "You can't see her! She'll be fine, she just wanted to let you know that she'll be leaving early and she was so sorry that she had to leave you and Hector alone."

She ran off towards the trailer, telling the guys that Chloe doesn't need visitors as she was very weak. Now while that part was true, the real reason Chloe didn't want anyone, especially not Adrien and Hector, was that her face had gone horrible pale and dark bags had appeared under her eyes, so dark that she couldn't cover it up with the concealer she had on her. After all, she had an image and reputation to protect and couldn't have two of the most attractive and wealthiest boys in Europe see her in such a state.

Left alone, Nino smirked, "Guess it's just the three of us. Oh how shall we ever do with her royal highness," he said in a sarcastic tone before pipping up, "Come on, let's go the Dupain-Cheng's bakery, they have some awesome holiday macaron they've just started selling and I want to try some."

Adrien and Hector looked at each other and shrugged, agreeing with Nino's plan and started heading towards the exit. Adrien called out to Natalie to tell her that he was leaving but was too preoccupied with setting up another shoot for tomorrow and rearranging the schedule than to acknowledge him. He sighed and followed his friend and the new student out of the gardens and into his limo, giving the driver the directions to the bakery.

* * *

_Every female at the collège flocked to him within his first week, making it easy to see who was worthy and who he could toss away. Chloe Bourgeois was immediately crossed off his list. The girl was a parasite, latching onto him the second she could, beating away any other females that could have been potential candidates and overall making his intended mission difficult. Her loyal assistant was no better, Sabrina was like a pathetic dog that always begs for scraps, a human doormat. Utter useless, the both of them._

_Alix, Juleka, Mylène were crossed off as well, the three of them, though kind and somewhat attractive, weren't what he was looking for. Aurore Borell was dismissed too, her personality slightly selfish and prideful. The fans of Agreste were also eliminated as they fell in love based on looks and status, not personality. Rose and Mireille seem to fit his profile though, so he kept an eye on them, that Alya girl as well. There were also a few older girls that needed to be looked at too but he had doubts._

_Then he remember something, or rather someone. In front of his class, as he was introduced, a small, seemly invisible girl staring at him, not in lust as the rest of the females, but in confusion and apprehension. An French-Asian female with rare and piercing blue eyes, fair skin and bluish-black hair tied back in pigtails. While her friend next to her swooned, she just started at him, no love or lust in her eyes, just curiosity at him. How cute and tiny she was, easy on the eyes and looked as sweet and innocent as a newborn fawn._

_"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he said out loud, her name rolling off his tongue._

_Unlike the rest, she didn't flock to him, didn't flirt or attempt to seduce him. In fact, she hardly glanced at him! He had never meet a female so disinterested in him before, was she playing it cool or was she really indifferent with him? 'A challenge?' he thought, 'Might be worth looking into.'_

_If Marinette was like the rest, selfish and cruel, he'd toss her away as easily as he did with Chloe and the others, but if she was the one..._

_"Let's see, Miss Dupain-Cheng," he purred, holding up a class photo and zoning in on the bluenette, "Are you a monster with a pretty mask or a genuine rose among weeds?"_


	4. Infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got a beta-proofreader! Big thanks to the wonderful Nefres for helping me with this chapter. Seriously I had a lot of errors. A LOT! But thanks to Nefres, a lot of those errors were corrected before I pressed the post button. Hopefully this chapter is error-proof since I did a little editing again! Anyway, continue my dear readers.

How Marinette was able to balance four large boxes filled with kouign-amann and clafoutis and deliver them to a museum across town without stumbling or crashing was anyone's guess. Even her parents were a little surprised. They had been hesitant to let her make such a tall delivery on her own, but Marinette had assured them that she could handle it and had the signed receipt and payment in full to prove it. However, the fact that _Ladybug_ made majority of the trip was her and Tikki's little secret. Besides, the day was long and filled with a never ending list of orders and deliveries for the upcoming holiday, so she could use a little shortcut in doing her deliveries.

Tom was busy in the back kitchen with the other workers shelling out baked goods after baked goods while his wife and Marinette's mother, Sabine, handled the front desk. Marinette spent a good portion of the morning in the back with her dad, helping out with some of the baking and clean up before her mother asked for her help with the delivery. With four of their regular drivers off making their own rounds, Marinette was on on foot, bike out of commission and not yet old enough to drive. Marinette didn't mind, she always enjoyed walking in her city. Of course it was nothing compared to running along the rooftops, but it was calm, relaxing and allowed her to take in the sights, smells and sounds of her city.

After her tenth delivery, this one to a couple a few blocks down, Marinette was put on front desk duty when Sabine received a distress call from one of their drivers who had a flat tire with still eight orders yet to be delivered. So here she was, handling the lunch rush: taking orders, restocking the display pastries, boxing the ones the walk-in customers wanted, and making sure nothing broke or caught on fire. After an hour of what seemed like a wave of people, pastries and flour, the entire shop was empty. The tiny French-Asian quickly plopped herself over the counter in exhaustion.

"Ugh! I thought those people would never leave," moaned Marinette, letting out a big yawn wiping away some flour that was on her cheek.

Tikki, popping out of Marinette's bag, giggled as she took one of the strawberry macarons from the counter. "I thought you handled that really well! You got all the deliveries on time and acted in a very professional manner towards the customers, even to the nasty ones."

"Don't remind me," Marinette had barely controlled herself when she made her delivery to a particularly snotty, overweight business man that merely took the box and tossed a few bucks in her face, without even a thank you. "At least I'm off delivery duty."

Marinette's phone started going off; it was Alya calling her. "Hey Marinette," chirped her friend over the line, "How's work at the bakery?"

"Busy," murmured Marinette, leaning her head on her hand, "But at least the lunch rush is over. How goes the Ladyhunt?"

"Eh, not a total loss," admitted Alya, "Although I haven't seen Ladybug or Chat Noir since their interview with the Walkers, I did manage to interview them and some of the victims' friends. But I still can't find a pattern between the girls that ties them together."

Hearing the disappointment in her friend's voice, Marinette asked, "Why don't you swing by the bakery? I can whip you up some chocolat chaud and some buttered croissants."

"Ah Marinette, ever the loving and caring wife," teased Alya, "How on earth haven't you been snatched up by some lucky guy? I'll see you in a few."

"Bye, Alya," Marinette ended the call and started preparing the hot chocolate she'd promised.

Over the past few days, the weather had gotten nippy and the winds had started to pick up. Nights were especially bitter as even her Ladybug suit couldn't keep the chilly winds from gnawing at her skin. With this in mind, Marinette made a mental note to start sketching out some designs for coats and sweaters for both her and Chat Noir to wear during patrol. The last time they patrolled at night, Chat's knees couldn't stop shaking, and she had not been that better off.

Keeping to her promise, Marinette started rolling up some croissants in the back for Alya. Her father and staff had already finished off the last of the orders and went out for a break, the pastries already packaged and waiting for their pick up. She was lucky that they still had some leftover dough as Marinette was sure that her father had gone through his entire weeks' worth of supplies. While popping the bread in the oven, the young designer heard the familiar tone of the front entrance bells.

"Welcome!" called out Marinette, wiping off the flour on her apron as best as she could while making her way towards the front, "How may I help-eek!"

Standing at the front of the desk was Adrien, perfect and posed from his early photo shoot, Nino, and the new boy, Hector. Marinette offered an awkward smile, but was internally screaming. ' _Oh wow, he is so handsome_ ,' she cooed in her head, ' _And he looks so cute in a knit sweater. Are those from his father's Fall line_?' She looked down are her own flour-covered clothing and her smile wavered, ' _Oh no, he probably thinks I'm a slob. Why didn't I clean up better?! What if Adrien thinks I look gross? What if he thinks I look weird or ridiculous or ugly or_...'

"Hey Marinette," smiled Nino, "How's the morning and lunch rush going?"

"G-good," stammered Marinette, a bit more comfortable with talking to Nino than she was with Adrien, "My dad just finished with the orders and my mom is helping out with one of the delivery drivers."

"Wow, you must be really busy," said Adrien, looking around the bakery and eyeing all the sweets in the counter. One of the downsides of being a model was a strict diet, meaning that nothing fattening or sweet passed his lips unless he wanted to get a four-hour lecture from his agent and nutritionist on how a donut could kill him or how a single slice of cake could add five pounds. Despite all the warnings, he couldn't help but admire all the delicate pastries being held behind the glass counter, "Did you makes these?"

"Uh...s-some of them," Marinette felt her mouth go dry as she tried to quietly clean herself up, "My-my dad usually, you know, makes all the pastries in the back with the workers and mom handles the front and I'm just in the back helping with decorating and stuff."

"They look great," Nino childishly pressed his face into the glass, eye some of his favorites before remembering of their third party, "Oh, you remember Hector right? Hector this is Marinette, Marinette meet Hector."

"Nice to meet you," Hector grinned and offered his hand over the counter.

Marinette instinctively took his hand to shake it, being so familiar with the gesture that she didn't even bother to remember the creeping sensation she had felt when he first entered the class. Once Hector's hand grasped hers, a bolt of electricity ran up her arm, causing her to jerk it away harshly. Both Nino and Adrien were shocked by the action, but Hector looked barely taken aback. It took a moment for Marinette to realize what she had done and she blurted out, "Flour! I got flour all over your hand! I'm so sorry!"

At this the boys looked at Hector's hand to see that it was, indeed, covered with flour. Hector laughed and started brushing away from powder, "Don't worry about it. Trust me, I've gotten a lot messier than this."

"On the bright side, now your hands smell like buttery croissant," joked Nino, before turning to Marinette, "Which by the way, you wouldn't happen to have any extra of for me to have? Along with some macarons and a few profiteroles?"

"Sure, I'll go get you some," replied Marinette before ducking into the back.

Once alone, Marinette began to bash herself for being so rude to Hector and acting so weird in front of Nino and Adrien. ' _They must think I'm a total jerk for pulling my hand away like that_ ,' thought Marinette as she shoved a dozen macarons into a plain carryout box. But despite the internal criticism, Marinette couldn't help but think back at her actions. She hadn't meant to rip her hand back like that, she honestly wanted to greet Hector as they never really met, and he seemed like a good person.

But once her skin touched his, a bolt of shock ran through her system, like all of her nerves were screaming at her to run, get back, to stay away! Marinette felt so sick at that instant, like she was going to pass out, and that same shiver she had came back twice as bad. It was only when she wrenched her hand away from Hector that all of those awful sensations ceased. Had it been a stranger or some weirdo, she would have yelled at them to leave, but Hector wasn't a stranger, not completely anyway, or a weirdo. He was a popular and kind student who had become friends with Nino and Adrien, gotten along with Alya, and probably was upset by her actions.

"Let's try this again," Marinette whispered to herself, straightening her back and holding the box firmly and walked right to the front counter.

Nino took the lead, grabbing the box of sweets from Marinette and thanking her profusely, "Just put it on my tab and I'll pay it back later."

"You don't have to do that, Nino. You know my parents consider you as family," stated Marinette, eyeing Hector in her peripheral vision, taking note that he didn't appear upset or angered, "It's on the house."

Marinette then took a deep breath and turned to Hector, "Sorry about before. My nerves have been fried from the busy day I've been having and I got careless. Can we start over?" She held out her hand to him, "Hi, I'm Marinette."

Hector laughed a sweet laughed and firmly grasped her hand, "Nice to finally meet you, Marinette. I'm Hector. I really hope that we'll be good friends while I'm here."

Again, when his hand touched her, a wave of nausea hit her, but this time she fought it back and smiled. Slowly, the sickening feeling started to die down and she felt strangely drowsy. Suddenly, Alya burst through the door, holding up her camera and bidding Marinette a hello, "Now where's that hot chocolate you promised me?" The blogger then took notice of the other guests in the shop, "Oh, hey Nino, Adrien, Hector, guess you escaped the clutches of Chloe and Adrien's photo shoot."

"Yeah, all the models at the shoot were really tired," Nino answered, his mouth stuffed with flaky, butter bread, "So they had to cut it short today. Chloe got sick too, something Sabrina said about some food or drink she had, I don't know."

Alya rolled her eyes before turning to her friend, who had long since gotten back her hand but looked fairly sleepy, then turned to Adrien, who was taking quick glances at some of the sweets on display, "Hey Adrien, why don't you try some of Marinette's famous cherry clafoutis? They're amazing!"

Marinette let out a tiny squeak, thankfully unnoticed by her classmates, as Adrien turned his attention to the dessert Alya pointed out. Like traditional clafoutis, it was made with a flan-like batter and baked with fruits, in this case cherries, and topped with powdered sugar. Marinette's clafoutis was made with red & black cherries baked in, severed with freshly-made whipped cream, powdered sugar and slices of red and green apples. Her father's customers had adored the decorative dessert and loved the taste even more. Tom, ever the proud and loving father, had made the dessert a permanent menu item in his bakery and was one of the more popular treats.

"Sure, they look great," commented Adrien. He was eager to try anything new or sweet, seeing how it might be a long time before he could get another chance.

Alya gave the designer a friendly shove towards him before turning her attention to Nino and Hector, "Hey, do you want to see my latest interview with one of the victims' friends?"

While Alya had distracted Hector and Nino, Marinette had quietly made her way towards Adrien and the clafoutis, "D-do you want the whole thing or just a piece?" she asked, trying hard not to stutter.

Adrien thought for a second. No way was he going to carry a large clafoutis back home only to have Plagg eat the thing, or worse have Natalie find it, confiscate it and then scold him for going off his diet. "I'll just have a piece to try," he stated, trying to muffe the angry ranting of the kwami in his pocket about how he was an awful miraculous holder for letting his 'poor, sweet' kwami 'starve', "And could you pack me some slices of camembert to-go?"

Marinette nodded while trying to get the order done quickly as possible, wanting to look as efficient and professional as possible despite her messy state. She handed the slice of clafoutis and camembert in a box to him just as Alya was finishing showing her video recording. "Sorry that it's short, I had to start the interview over as she kept going off the topic and started asking if anyone important would be watching it."

"You'd think that with all the hair flips and batting eyelashes she'd get dizzy?" joked Nino.

Alya sighed, "I don't think she realized that it wasn't a live camera," she snapped the camcorder shut before turning to her blushing friend, "So how's the dessert?"

"Delicious!" perked Adrien, his cheek full of the sweet tasting pie-like pastry, "This is amazing, Marinette. If the rest of your desserts are this tasty, I should come here more often."

If it not for the fact that she was in the presence of her friends and love-interest, Marinette would have fainted from sheer happiness. ' _He likes my clafoutis_!' she shrieked in her head, trying to keep a straight face but couldn't help but smile. Nino, wanting to try the cherry pie, snatched the last piece and shoved it in his mouth, much to Alya's amusement and Adrien's irritation. The model turned to Marinette and asked for another piece to-go, to which Nino asked for one as well, much to the baker's daughter happiness.

"May I have some too?" asked Hector, walking up closer to the dessert display, "Can I also have some lemon and raspberry eclairs to-go? I'll pay for mine."

"Sure," said Marinette, putting his order in a box and ringing him up on the cash register, "Your total is 14.08€."

Hector handed her the money and picked up the box from him. All the while, Marinette held back her turning stomach and the goosebumps appearing on her skin when his fingers brushed against her skin. He smiled and held the box over his head so the sugar-crazed Nino couldn't get his hands on it. While Nino was trying to get Hector to share his food, Alya secretly swiped a few of Nino's macarons and popped them in her mouth.

"Guess we'll head out," stated Adrien, turning his attention back to the girls, "Hector wanted us to show him around Paris so he could get a better layout. We'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yep! Totally," chirped Marinette, her awkwardness becoming more apparent. Thankfully, Alya came to her rescue and bid them goodbye. "Have fun. Try to keep Nino's hands off the sugar before he becomes a hyperactive five-year-old."

Nino stuck out his tongue as the trio left the bakery. Marinate groaned and face-planted onto the counter in embarrassment while Alya pattered her on the back, congratulating her for being able to form complete sentences in front of Adrien. After her face became less red, Marinette quickly brought out her promise of hot chocolate and croissants for Alya, who happy ate it up. The two chatted away for the next hour about offhanded things: Alya's series of interviews, Marinette's newest designs, school, and the upcoming winter holidays, before Sabine Cheng walked in and relieved Marinette of her shop duties for the day.

* * *

 After two hours of editing videos and posting them on the Ladyblog, Marinette said her goodbyes to Alya and raced upstairs to take a long, hot shower to remove all the flour, butter and powdered sugar that stuck to her skin. Tikki was in her room, munching on some cookies Marinette had stashed, by the time she came out. Thankfully for her, she had already finished her homework and took the time to sketch some black wool jackets for Chat Noir when the weather started to drop.

"Those are really cute, Marinette," commented Tikki, floating up next to the French-Asian girl, "I really like that one for Chat Noir, the one that has the green paw print on it."

"Yeah, I just have to figure out how to get his measurements without him thinking I'm weird or asking too many questions about it," said Marinette, leaning back into her chair, letting out a huge yawn, "Or worse, thinking I'm falling for him."

Tikki thought for a moment before saying, "Ladybug could tell Chat that she commissioned Marinette to make them some coats for winter. You can have Chat visit you during the day to get his measurements like that without looking suspicious. Plus, Chat already knows Marinette so it won't be an issue."

"I don't know..." trailed Marinette, "Having Chat come over? Won't that cause people to question why one of Paris's famed heroes is going over to the home of the baker's daughter? I don't want the news or the tabloids getting any funny ideas or starting any rumors. Or to sick any of his crazed fan girls on me."

"Then tell him to come in secret," answered Tikki, looking very self-assured, "Have him come by at a certain time, get his measurements and then tell him that Ladybug will deliver the coats when done. Piece of cake!"

Marinette thought for a second, but eventually agreed to the plan and finished up her rough sketch before letting out another yawn. By the time 6 p.m. rolled around, it was already pitch black and her parents had closed up shop for the day and started making dinner. After dinner, Marinette excused herself to go to bed early, incredibly tired, which her parents believed considering she was yawning throughout the meal. Once in the safety of her room, Tikki transformed her into Ladybug and she leaped into the night.

Like the nights before, the cold was biting hard into her skin through her suit. Thankfully for her, Hawk Moth seemed to be on some sort of akuma break as it has been a week since the last attack. And so it the night became a routine patrol. By the time she reached the Notre Dame, the halfway point of her side of the city, she heard the familiar jingle of a bell to her side. Across the row of houses from her was Chat Noir. Despite his dark leather outfit, she always spotted him, even at night, from the splash of blonde hair and glowing green eyes.

"My Lady," he called out, stopping mid-run to face his partner walking up to him, "Looking as purr-fect as ever."

Ladybug raised a masked eyebrow as she heard the chattering of teeth coming from her partner. Like her, the cold was taking a toll on him, though it seemed to be worse for the cat. His lips were slightly chapped from the wind and he was rubbing his hands together. This reminded her of the Lady Wifi incident, when he was trapped in the freezer and practically fell into her arms when she freed him. He had made an offhand remark about his kwami not being able to stand the cold the day after, but she hadn't really paid too much attention to it.

"Getting a bit chilly, kitty?" quipped Ladybug.

Chat Noir smiled a toothy grin, "I thought we agreed to leave the puns to me, my dear. Not that I mind of course."

She huffed before motioning him to follow her until they reached the balcony of the Notre Dame in front of the rose window. Once there, Ladybug turned at her feline partner and said "I've asked someone to make us coats for the upcoming winter. She'll have them ready in a few days but she needs your measurements to start making yours."

Chat was shocked, but at the same time delighted, "Who did you ask? Some designer or shop owner?"

"Nope, I've asked Marinette to design them," she stated, keeping a straight face, "Remember, she was targeted by the Evillustrator and I asked you to protect her."

Of course Adrien knew Marinette, after all she sat right behind him in class and was known to be shy but amazingly talented. Though after the incident with the Evillustrator, he was shocked to see a sassy, cool-under-pressure and confident girl he was clueless to. After that, he started noticing her a bit more: how energetic and optimistic she was, able to hold her own against Chloe, and downright sweet and selfless when it came to protecting her loved ones. Adrien wondered how he missed such an incredible person.

Upon closer observation he had realized that he never noticed because she was always nervous around him for some reason. With everyone else, she had no problem expressing herself, but once he came near her, Marinette started stuttering, looking like a rabbit trying to find an escape. Adrien felt hurt and somewhat jealous that she could freely express herself with everyone but himself. Why? Had he done something to her? Did he make her uncomfortable? He could never figure it out because the second he spoke, she would jump and stutter something before Alya or Nino came by and made an exit.

That's why he was happy when he was Chat Noir, Marinette could actually speak to him normally. And wow, what a sassy and witty girl she was! Plus the fact that she was a fan of Chat Noir and acknowledged him as Ladybug's equal instead of sidekick like everyone else did made him elated. "Yeah," he smiled, "I remember Princess. Sweet girl."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well I need you to visit her sometime this week so she can get your measurements for your coat. And don't draw attention to yourself, the girl doesn't need any of your fan girls harassing her about why you're visiting."

Chat Noir held up his left hand and put his right hand over her heart, "I swear I shall be swift and stealthy as my namesake."

Marinette held back a remark about his numerous falls and trips while they were patrolling or fighting akumas. She was just glad that he bought her story and thought nothing weird about him. The duo made a last lap around the city before calling it quits around 11:30 p.m. and both headed to their respective homes. Marinette practically dive-bombed into her bed the moment she knew she was safe and away from prying eyes.

Tikki de-transformed her and made her bed on the large pink cat pillow while Marinette changed into her pajamas before crawling under her sheets. For the entire day she felt as if she drank ten cups of extra-strong chamomile tea with honey. During the patrol, she couldn't stop yawning, her limbs felt heavy and once or twice she had to catch herself before slamming into a wall because her eyes were tired and couldn't keep focus. But now, resting her head against her kitty pillow, she fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

_With just a brief taste, he had become addicted. Such a succulent and heavenly life-force, so sweet it seemed almost unearthly. And from such a tiny girl. He was indeed enthralled. She wasn't like the other whores, their faces caked with cosmetics and personalities so false that it made plastic dolls seem real. No, she was natural, sweet, innocent and loving, things he once thought were impossible traits to find in a person. Everything his ex was, she wasn't._

_'Oh how I wish I was younger and I met her,' he mused looking back at French-Asian standing behind the counter of her family's bakery, 'She would have made a wonderful girlfriend, fiancée and wife.'_

_Throughout the day, his thoughts swarmed back to the tiny blunette. Even when he was approached by beautiful women, giving him a chance to feed, their life-force was next to nothing compared to hers. If didn't have a ruse to keep, he would have raced back to the bakery, grabbed the girl and disappeared altogether. The Voice and his threats be damned! But he didn't, he kept a pleasant face, said the right things and continued the ruse. Patience is a virtue, thus he must be patient._

_All the other girls were easy to seduce and even easier to drain, but he could tell that this latest girl wouldn't be. The way she forced her hand back when he touched her, the brief glint of fear and shock in her eyes, the way she looked when they shook hands for a second time, as if she was an animal in an trap. Did she know? Could she feel how inhuman he became? Did little Marinette see the monster behind the mask?_

_'She's a lot more astute than I pinned her for, but I think that makes it all the more challenging,' he thought, 'And makes her all the more lovelier.'_

_He wanted her, he desired her in the worst possible way. So much so that it scared him but excited him at the same time. He wanted to erase his wretched ex's face and replace it with Marinette's. All those girls, they were nothing compared to her. He didn't need to date her or even know her to know she was the one. The one who would satisfy his feeding frenzy, the one who would end his search. He finally found his perfect match._

_'But she's frightened and won't approach me,' his mind wandered back to the handshake at the bakery, 'A direct approach won't do. I need an indirect strategy to get to her.'_

_But he didn't need to search far, his solution were right in front of him: Adrien Agreste and his friend, Nino. Nino was already familiar with Marinette as a friend of the family and it was obvious to everyone, except to Agreste himself, that Marinette was infatuated with him and would do anything to please him. And there was the closest factor to Miss Marinette: Alya. From the interaction, Alya was Marinette's source of comfort and confidence in her life. Marinette needed Alya to keep herself grounded and focused._

_Alya, Nino and Adrien: the three keys to Marinette's heart and they were already in the palm of his hand._

* * *

 Monday's class was quick and quiet thanks to Chloe's absence. According to Sabrina, who was relaying the story that Chloe forced her to recite, Chloe was poisoned by a jealous model of Adrien's firm who apparently had it out for her since it was heard that Adrien 'loved' Chloe. Of course, no one believed the story and passed it off as Chloe eating some bad food, or having a bad hair day, or just wanting to skip classes. Whatever the case, the class was thankful for the Chloe-less day where no one had to suffer through her daily tantrums.

Marinette was still on bakery-duty so that left Alya, once again, alone on her Ladyhunt. Slowly packing away her stuff, the blogger started heading out the door before she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me, Alya."

It was Hector with his warm smile and kind eyes, "Do you mind if I ask where you're going?"

Alya quickly snapped herself back to reality, "Uh, yeah. Just going out on one of my Ladyhunts. Since I didn't have much luck yesterday, I thought I would try again today. Maybe catch some footage to show my viewers online."

"May I come?" he asked, his smile growing. Alya felt her cheeks darken, "I've only been here a few days and I have yet to see Paris's famed Lucky Duo. Though I heard that you're quite a fixture in their lives."

Alya blushed harder, she didn't know if the comment was meant to be a compliment or an insult but how he said it left her heart beating fast. ' _Wow, now I know how Marinette must feel being around Adrien_ ,' thought Alya whimsically, remembering all the times her designer friend would blush, stutter and stumble around the attractive blonde model. "Sure, you can tag along! Hope you don't mind carrying around some equipment."

He laughed and said, "I think I can handle it."

* * *

 After finishing the last three deliveries, Ladybug made a quick call to Chat Noir to meet up in arrondissement 8, the location where both Amanda Brisset and victim 3, Kathy Simon, were found. Both frequented a trendy hole-in-the-wall nightclub and were found a few blocks away from it. The pair interviewed the bouncer who worked nights and knew Amanda and Kathy but couldn't give a description of the guys they were with. Same with the owner and the bartender who could only give them one clue: Amanda's date was a blonde with tan skin while Kathy's date had dark skin with a black buzz cut.

"Nothing helpful here," stated Chat Noir as they both exited the club, "Even the security cameras didn't help us. The guys kept their faces down the entire time."

"We'll just have to look around," answered Ladybug, "Maybe someone saw something or one of the department store camera captured some exchange. How did they manage to get them alone in a darkened alleyway?"

"Well they were both drunk and they probably trusted the guy," Chat replied, "Maybe he said it was a shortcut."

Ladybug ducked into the alleyway were Amanda was found, the place still cordoned off with police tape. Ducking under it, Ladybug walked towards the toppled trash cans and scattered miscellaneous items. "Okay, so here," she pointed to the ground where the faint outline of a body was still present, "Is where they found her. A passerby walking to work spotted her arm sticking out from behind the trash cans and called 112."

Chat Noir walked up behind his Lady and looked at the ground, "There're two sets of footprints, hers and her date's, but his disappears after she falls. Was there a ladder or a fire escape...?" Looking up, there was nothing but a chipped brick wall, bare and with no means of climbing up, "He couldn't have just flown away."

"He could if he was an akuma..." murmured Ladybug, then turned towards her partner, "Maybe this is the work of an akuma. A shapeshifter probably, how else would hide under the radar while scoping out potential victims?"

"Change his appearance to be each girl's dream guy," added Chat Noir, "Scary but genius."

"And bad for us," concluded Ladybug, sagging her shoulders, "How are we supposed to catch a shapeshifter when he keeps changing forms? He could literally be anyone!"

The cat-eared boy pondered for a moment before blurting out, "His desired object! The object the akuma is hiding it can't shift to his will. A shapeshifter can only change his body, not the clothes or objects he wears."

"But what could he be wearing that wouldn't be noticed? I mean we've seen the security tapes and each of the guys has something different on," replied Ladybug.

"Something small enough to hide under his clothes like a ring or a bracelet or earrings..." Chat Noir looked up and notice Ladybug's bemused expression, "What?"

"Glad to see you using your brain for once, Kitty," she ruffled his blond locks, "I was worried that all you had in your head was an over-inflated ego."

"I'm hurt, My Lady," Chat Noir put on a pained expression before slyly remarking, "Perhaps a kiss will make it better."

"In your dreams, Chat," said Ladybug smoothly.

Chat Noir chuckled, "It always is."

Marinette rolled her eyes and started survey the alley. The place was already trampled on by the police on duty the night Amanda was found and any other clues would have been either taken as evidence or destroyed. For some reason, her attention was drawn back to the brick wall. Ugly and discolored, the bricks were uneven and crumbling from years of neglect, yet they were still held together. There was no way that anyone could climb up the wall using the tiny shifts of the brinks, even she had difficulty trying to hoist herself when she'd tried.

' _But there's no other way he could have left without make any type of track_ ,' Ladybug took a step back and stared at the wall, ' _I doubt this shapeshifter could just fly away, he seems to be limited to physical human characteristics. Wings shouldn't be an option for him. So how could he scale_...?' She then spotted her answer.

"Chat, look at this," said Ladybug, pointing to the wall, "Do you see what I see?"

Looking closer, Chat Noir saw a tiny hole drilled into the brick Ladybug was pointing act. A few bricks up was another, and another and another, all of them leading up to the roof of the building. "Someone...climbed up there?" Chat Noir gasped in disbelief.

Ladybug nodded then took Chat Noir's hand and held his fingers up to the holes, "Yep, and by the looks of it, someone with sharp claws," concluded Ladybug, "Sharp enough to stab through bricks and strong enough to do it multiple times."

"You think he..." Whatever Chat Noir was about to say was cut off by a familiar yell and the sound of pounding footsteps, a pair of them.

Looking back, the Lucky Duo weren't that surprised to find Alya running towards them with a camcorder. What was surprising was seeing Hector running behind her, carrying both his and Alya's bag, unfazed by the blogger's excitement. While Alya was babbling away to the two superheroes, Hector merely shrugged and gave a gentle smile, though Ladybug unconsciously took a step back when he turned to her before she realized what she did.

' _Stupid! What are you doing?! All he did was smile at you and not in a creepy or flirty way_!' Ladybug kept a straight face while she kept arguing in her head. Why was she so uncomfortable around Hector? All he ever did was be nice to her and occasionally say hello to her when they entered class. Yet why did her stomach turn more when he was near than when Chloe opened her mouth?

"Oh, I'm so sorry. This is Hector, he's an exchange student from our school and is helping me with my film," stated Alya, waving her hand towards the handsome male. "He's from Switzerland and is staying with us for the next few months. He's a big fan of you two and wanted to meet you."

"Sorry if we're disturbing your investigation," apologized Hector, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment before holding his hand out in front of him, "It's really an honor to meet you both."

Chat Noir was the first to shake his hand, "No problem! Always nice to meet a fan, isn't that right, My Lady?"

Ladybug snapped back to reality and reluctantly reach out to shake Hector's hand and felt...nothing. No nausea, no shock, no scream voice telling her to get away, just Hector happily shaking her hand like any normal fan or admirer would. She gave a small smile and pulled back her hand, ' _Maybe it was just my imagination_ ,' she thought, ' _Maybe I was just sick that day he came to the bakery_.'

"So Ladybug," began Alya, holding up her camcorder to the red-and-black-spotted superhero, "Do you have any leads on the Parisian Incubus? Have you uncovered any evidence that could assist the police? The people of Paris want to know!"

Like before, Ladybug replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't give out any information right now that could be detrimental to the case. You have to understand."

Alya groaned and pressed her camera forward, "Can you at least tell me if you uncovered a pattern between the girls. You don't have to tell me what it is, just if you found something to connect them."

Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond before Chat Noir gave it up, "Yeah, we found some sort of pattern between the victims."

Alya squealed a bit before asking several more, less intrusive questions while Hector stood behind her, almost amused by the situation. Ladybug couldn't help but glance once in a while in his direction. He seemed calm, collected, wearing a slight bemused expression, but there was nothing weird about him. She chalked up her weird and defensive feelings as simple nerves. After all, Hector was pretty sweet and kind, even to someone as nasty as Chloe, so what was there to be so wary of?

"Sorry to end this interview early, but Ladybug and I must be going," said Chat Noir, shamelessly draping his arm around her shoulder, "Isn't that right?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry," replied Ladybug, pulling Chat's arm away and reaching for her yo-yo, "It was nice seeing you again, Alya, I really like your blog."

"You've seen my blog!?" asked Alya, joy just bursting from her face.

However, Ladybug and Chat Noir were already climbing up the rooftops and running out of view. The two quickly made their way several blocks over to another alley, the one that Kathy Simon was found in and checked the area her body was found. Like Amanda's crime scene, there no tracks leading away from her date's crime scene, and there were tiny holes leading up the roof. Unfortunately, that's where the two hit a dead end. Amanda and Kathy were the only ones found in an alley, others were found either on a sidewalk, in a hotel room, a park, near la Seine, and other locations.

The duo decided to call it a day when their Miraculous started beeping and they headed off in opposite directions. Marinette landed on her rooftop and slipped through the trapdoor before her transformation wore off. Tikki landed on her shoulder as she laid back onto her bed. "Are you okay, Marinette?" asked the tiny kwami, "You look kinda rattled."

Marinette sighed. Tikki hadn't witnessed the incident with Hector at the bakery since she was hiding in the backroom when it happened and she didn't want to bring it up now, for fear of looking like a spaz in front her kwami. "It's nothing," she answered, "Just nerves."

"Who was the boy next to Alya?" Tikki asked, trying to recall if she had ever seen him, "She said his name was Hector."

"Hector Boucher, he's an exchange student from Le Rosey in Switzerland," answered Marinette, "He arrived last week."

Tikki noticed her furrowed brow, "You don't like him?"

"No! It's nothing like that!" stated Marinette, searching for the words to use next, "He's just...I don't know...just...I feel weird around him. Not like lovely-dovey or 'he-so-awesome-like-a-rockstar' feeling, it's just...weird."

Marinette quickly shut her mouth and stared at the skylight of her room, watching the sky turn a soft violet. Why was she so afraid to get near Hector? He had done nothing to her! He has only said a couple of words to her during his stay, all of them were nice and well mannered. Everyone seemed to like him and Tikki didn't seem to notice anything off about him. Yet that sinking feeling in her gut, the screaming in the back of her head said otherwise.

"Marinette," Tikki flew up to Marinette's eye level, "You know you can tell me anything. If he is making you uncomfortable in any way..."

Marinette cupped her hands around her kwami, "No, no, Tikki I'm fine. I just...I can't really explain it but it's probably just a weird feeling. Nothing to get overly protective about. Anyway, he's only here for as long as the exchange is and then he goes back to Le Rosey."

Tikki frowned but didn't say anything. A few minutes later Sabine called out for her daughter to tell her that dinner was ready. The aroma of sweet and sour chicken and fried rice wafted in the air, causing the tiny bluenette's stomach to growl. Marinette quickly hopped out of bed and headed towards the door while her kwami took a spot near her computer monitor and decided to take a nap.

"I'll bring you back some of dad's praline," said Marinette, closing the door behind her as Tikki cheered in happiness.

* * *

 "Would you like some soda?" asked a hazel-eyed little girl.

Hector smiled and declined her offer. Alya, who had been on her computer editing her film, got up and quickly shooed her little sister out of her room, ignoring the anger complaints from her, and shut the door. Outside, she could hear the muffled groans of her other sisters as they shuffled away from her room in defeat. The blogger turned to Hector and gave a weak smile, "Sorry about my siblings, they can be a bit nosy."

"It's fine," he said, rewinding her earlier footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir, "You're lucky to have so many siblings that actually want to hang out with you. My older sister just keeps to herself and hangs out with her friends."

"Trust me," smirked Alya, walking back to her computer, "It's not me that they want to hang out with."

Alya and Hector had finished taping the crime scene before the two went to the nightclub that two of the victims frequented, doing a mini-interview with the bartender that served the girls. After the interview and taking some quick shots of the location, the two students headed towards Alya home to edit and upload the footage to the Ladyblog.

Alya's mother was already home and was immediately charmed by the Swiss student as well as all of Alya's little sisters, who had insisted that he come to their room to play. However Alya told them that he was needed to help her with her film and quickly escorted him to her room. But that didn't stop her sister from coming in every five minutes to offer Hector something to drink, eat or offering him candy. Cue Alya shutting her door but not locking it. She didn't want to give her sister something to tattle about to their mother.

Surprisingly, Hector was fairly good at editing videos together, making their transition flawless and enhancing a few fuzzy shots or removing any cloudiness from the film. He even lowered background noises and toned down lighting during the interviews. "Wow, you're incredible," commented Alya, as she uploaded the finished work, "And here you said you wanted to go into modeling."

"I said I was interested in modeling," corrected Hector, giving her a sly smile, "Never said I wanted to go into it. To be honest, I'm not sure what I want to do with my life. My teachers said I could get a good career in film or photography or writing. It's one of the reasons they had me take two journalism classes."

"So you must know some workings of the business, huh," replied Alya, "Thinking about going into it?"

"Maybe," answered Hector, looking around her room. Alya's room was pretty standard for what a girl like her liked: colorful walls, a twin-bed with orange comforter, a slightly messy desk with a computer monitor and several pieces of film equipment and photos of Ladybug with notes attach to them, reading things like: "Who is Ladybug?", "Is she a student?" and "How did she get her powers?" His attention came to focus on a framed photo on her desk, "This is Marinette right? The girl at the bakery?"

The framed photo was of her and Marinette at the front of Louvre's Glass Pyramid last autumn. Both she and her friend were bundled up in knit sweaters handmade by Marinette and holding cups on hot chocolate in their hands, smiling into the camera. "Yep, Marinette's my best friend and she sits next to me in class," Alya couldn't help but notice a small blush on Hector's face, "She's really cute, isn't she."

Hector looked at her and gave a guilty smile, "Is it that obvious?"

A part of Alya was happy that a boy was interested in Marinette, her tiny French-Asian friend was so sweet, selfless and silly that she deserved to have some attention on her, whether or not that attention was from a blonde model she liked so much. Another part of her felt a pang of envy that such a handsome and attentive boy wasn't interested in her, but she brushed it off. There were plenty of other fish in the sea and her heart was currently invested in her journalism and finding out Ladybug's identity. Now, it was time to play matchmaker.

"You know she's is single," stated Alya, "And you already know that she's in our classes and where she lives. You could always ask her out."

The Swiss boy scratched his head, looking doubtful, "I don't know. She doesn't seem that interest..."

"Oh come on," Alya perked, "Just ask her out. If you want, I can help you." Alya was sure Marinette was going to kill her for setting her up on a date with someone that wasn't Adrien, but she ignored that. The girl had been pining over Adrien for a year with little success in so much as asking him for a pencil, let alone a date. Maybe if she had gone out on a real date, she could forget about Adrien and move on with her life. Worst case scenario would be Hector and Marinette going out, find out they aren't compatible and they just go on with their lives.

"No, no I don't want to burden you with that," Hector replied, "Plus, I don't want you to push me on her if she doesn't want to go out. I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

Alya laughed, this boy was as bad with crushes as Marinette was. "It's no problem. Just one date. In any case, at least you get to know each other."

Hector signed in defeat and smiled, "Okay, you win."

* * *

By the time Marinette had finished washing her plate, the clock in their kitchen struck 9 p.m. She grabbed a small plate of cookies and pralines and bid her parents a goodnight as she was going to bed early. Tikki was still awake by the time she entered her room, already munching on her treats before her Miraculous wielder was halfway across the floor. After setting the plate near on her desk, Marinette's phone started to buzz, signaling a received text from Alya asking for a video chat.

Booting up her computer, Marinette quickly turns on her webcam and logs on to Alya's video chat. The blogger's face pops up onto her screen and she waves at the blunette, "Hey Marinette."

"Hey Alya," she said, glancing towards her left at Tikki, making sure the kwami was out of viewing range, "How was the Ladyhunt today?"

"Pretty good," Alya informed her, "I got some great footage and got Ladybug to give me some answers for my viewers. I posted it on the Ladyblog just a few hours ago if you haven't seen it."

"Cool, I'll check it out," replied Marinette, "Anything else happen?"

"Actually, yes. Remember Hector from our class and from the bakery?" asked Alya, "He helped me with my Ladyhunt today. He's really good at computers and helped edit the whole thing. It looks really professional."

"Really?" said Marinette, acting surprised, "Did you make him carry your equipment while you did your interviews?"

"Maybe...anyway that's not the point. Hector wanted me to tell you that he loved the pastries you gave him and wanted to know if you wanted to hang out some time," stated Alya, "Why don't you take him up on his offer? He's a really great guy and doesn't complain when he holds your stuff."

Marinette froze a bit at the offer, "I don't know..." she began, "I'm sure he's busy this week, I don't want to burden him."

"Oh come on, Mari," teased Alya, "A hot and sweet guy is asking you to spend some time with him and you're going to turn him down? Live a little. In any case, it will get Chloe riled up."

"But what if Adrien sees us!" panicked Marinette, picturing her and Hector together, Adrien finding them out, thinking they're a couple and congratulating them with a devil-horned Chloe stealing Adrien away and leaving a heartbroken Marinette, "I-I can't risk that!"

Alya sighed, "It's just meeting up for coffee. It's not like he's going to propose to you."

Marinette grimace and look down. After shaking hands with Hector and not having that sickness wash over, she should have been over the whole Hector-avoidance deal. But yet that pull in the back of her mind kept telling her to evade, to refuse any sort of contact with him. She didn't know why, Hector seemed so nice and sincere, and yet her body was telling her to treat him like the plague.

Looking up at Alya, who was still waiting for her answer with a smile, Marinette felt a lump form in her throat. It was obvious that Alya was getting along with Hector and wanted her to know him too. The fact that he selflesly carried both of their stuff, plus her equipment, was enough for Alya. Add in all the editing she said he did for her, and Hector had no doubt won her over.

"I..." Marinette hesitated, "I'll think about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow that was a long chapter. Hope I didn't make Alya too oc, it's tough to write someone in character when their slowly being manipulate by a villain and it isn't through mind control.
> 
> Since a lot of reviewers have been asking, I'm going to explain Hector's/Parisian Incubus's power: In order for Hector to be able to drain someone's life energy, the person must be, in some way, attracted to them (love, lust, even a crush counts). It is why Hector often changes forms, he wants to be able to seduce as much females (and sometime males) as possible in order to absorb more energy and sustain his level of power. This why the models at the photo shoot and Chloe were affected, they were attracted to him physically.
> 
> Now the Sleeping Beauties victims (AKA the shallow, spoiled girls) were his TARGETS. These were the type of women he went after personally as they mimicked his ex-girlfriend, the first victim, personality wise and felt that females like that are better off dead. For him, its like getting vengeance upon his ex over and over again (for those who have went through a bitter breakup/divorce/been cheated on, you probably known how it feels). But, because these women love shallowly and only based on looks, money or status, their energies are often very bittersweet and are least likely to sustain him for longer periods of time, hence his need to feed often
> 
> Now when it comes to people like Marinette, it's an entirely different story. When Marinette loves, she loves with her entire heart. her affections are genuine, open and there is nothing fake about them. From her family, friends, classmates, crush and partner, Marinette always has the best intentions (even if they do get a bit side track). Even with the people who annoy and bully her (coughChloecough), she still protects them regardless and is very selfless and forgiving. With honest and affectionate love, Marinette's life fource would be pure and nourishing which would be perfect for Hector and sustain/fully power him. The problem is that Marinette has to willingly open her heart to him in order for him to gain access to her life force. Cue him manipulating her friends and using them to get to her.
> 
> READ & REVIEW! Reviews help this writer finish Ch. 5 faster!


	5. Infection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Announcement:
> 
> Okay, so I'm having trouble reaching Nefres this break. I guess she's pretty busy with her life, taking care of herself and relaxing after finals. Unfortunately, I'm pretty impatient when it comes to this like this. Don't blame her, blame me, I'm just really anxious about getting this chapters out and to my readers before I go back to school. Hence, as a Christmas present, I'm uploading three chapter of O&B for this week! One on the 23th, Christmas Eve & Christmas itself. Consider it a Happy Holiday gift to all my fans and thanks for sticking by. I know I usually update this fic one a week, but finals last week pretty much kicked my ass, plus I just got back home on Friday afternoon so...yeah. Thanks again and I hope your holidays are great and festive. On with the show:

Marinette yawned as she left her family's bakery early that morning. Her parents had finally finished doing all their deliveries in time for Armistice Day so Marinette was finally relieved of delivery and baking duty. Alya had texted ahead to meet her in class so the blunette just trudged up towards the school. Early-bird students were already lofting near the entrance, some of them talking or texting to their friends about the upcoming holiday and how they were going to spend it.

However, as she passed by, she heard whispers of the Sleeping Beauties case. They were stating the police had no leads on the culprit and how Ladybug and Chat Noir were found searching the alleyway were Amanda Brisset was found. "My dad says that Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't cooperating with the police," said one girl, "That they're trying to take over the investigation and withholding information that could help the cops find the guy."

"That's total BS!" hissed a male student, "It's obvious that the police are clueless and are trying to say that Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't helping them 'cause they don't want to be one-upped by a couple of masked teens!"

Marinette recognized the girl, whose face was now red from anger, was the daughter of a local police force officer and quickly made a beeline for the class before a fight broke out. This exactly the type of drama she had wanted to avoid when jumping into this investigation but it really was no fault except her own. She hadn't really gotten around to communicating with the police with their thoughts and theories on the pattern following the victims or clues they found in the alleyways.

Then again, it wasn't like the police were willing to cooperate with them either. Most probably thought that Ladybug and Chat Noir should stick with fighting akuma-ified villains while the real-life villains like murders, thieves and kidnappers should be left to the police force. Heck, she could still recall the looks she got from several of the officers when she and Chat first entered the hospital. The phrases 'You don't belong here' and 'Don't interfere' were practically written on their faces. But she ignored them since she was more concerned with helping the girls then protecting the police's public appearance.

Thankfully, her first period class was empty so she took the opportunity to rest her head on her desk to catch a few more minutes of sleep. Tikki had gotten into the habit of waking her earlier than she wanted in order to avoid Marinette from receiving a detention slip for being tardy to class. Not that Marinette wasn't eternally grateful for her kwami getting her sleepy butt out of bed, but did it have to be two hours before school even started? Not even two minutes in her nap, her phone started buzzing, signaling she had received a text.

Alya's named and photo popped up with the message 'Hector says he's free on Sat. Why not hang out with him then ;)' plastered on the screen. Marinette sighed, why was Alya so determined to get her and Hector together? Did she not understand that her heart solely belong to Adrien? With all the effort she made, and somewhat questionable behaviors and actions she sadly done, you'd think Alya would understand her infatuation with the blonde model wouldn't be quelled by the arrival of a gorgeous looking exchange student.

' _Or maybe Alya's just trying to get me to see reality_ ,' she thought sadly, ' _I mean it's been a year and I've barely held a conversation with Adrien. Not to mention his December holiday plans_.'

With autumn halfway over and winter coming up, Adrien's modeling schedule has been booked heavily. Photo shoots were taking up all his weekend time, plus his lessons with his afternoon tutors, meeting with his dietitian, squeezing in time for his club activity then back home to eat dinner then go to bed. And that was just for November! Once December break hits, Adrien was out of Paris and heading towards the Caribbean with Chloe of all people. Apparently his father took concern with how the cold weather was drying his skin and decided that this year it would have been better if he took the month off to go somewhere warmer.

Of course when that plan was made public, Chloe immediately begged, pleaded and cried crocodile tears to her father to let her go with Adrien on his trip. And once Mayor Bourgeois agree, Chloe took it upon herself to inform _everyone_ of her and Adrien's trip together. One vicious rumor that had spread stated that Chloe and Adrien would be sharing a room and a bed! When Marinette heard that she nearly had a heart attack before Adrien confirmed its falsehood. But even if they had separate rooms, it didn't mean that Chloe wouldn't try anything and everything to get Adrien under her thumb which both angered and worried Marinette.

While in thought, students began to trickle into the class. Alya took her seat next to Marinette and greeted her. "Did you get my text?" she asked, pulling out her Lit. notebook.

"Yeah, I read it," replied Marinette in a quiet tone, "C-can I get rain check for my answer?"

"Mari..." exasperated Alya, "Don't tell me your planning to avoid him? It's just to hang out. You act like he's going to suck out your soul."

Marinette looked down guiltily, maybe she was going a little over the top with Hector. After all, her last meeting hadn't trigger that nausea feeling and he had been incredibly nice to Alya and their class. Plus, there were probably logical explanations for the sensation she felt. The shock she felt, it was nearing winter and there was probably static in the air! That sickening feeling in her stomach, classic case of too much sweets eaten during the day. And that crawling sensation she had during his introduction, she was probably cold. Paranoia was getting the best of her, there was no reason she should avoid Hector.

"I'll talk to him after school," concluded Marinette.

Alya smiled and gave her friend a tight hug, "Trust me, you won't regret it. Hector is an awesome friend once you get to know him."

More students came walking in, Hector, Nino and Adrien came in a trio, talking about the newest action film that was premiering next month while Chloe came strutting in with Sabrina trailing behind her. Once spotted, Chloe threw her arms around Hector, halting him mid-talk, "Hector!" she squealed, giving him a sad puppy-dog look, "I'm so sorry I had to bail on you and Adrien at his shoot, but I was just so sick and weak!" She then turned to Adrien and gave him a similar pathetic look, "You heard about how that awful model poisoned me right?! Your dad really should fire her! It's clear that she did it because she's jealous of me and want you all to herself..."

Most of the class starting to tune her out as she ranted on about an evil model and poisoning. Marinette rolled her eyes and started to pull out her notebook as Mme. Bustier walked in, making Chloe take her seat and started today's lesson. Moving out of the Medieval & Gothic literature, the lesson shifted ahead to the 19th Century and the works of Victor Hugo. "Open your textbooks to page 378 and we'll read an excerpt from Les Misérables then, with your partner, discuss the father-daughter relationship between Cosette and Jean Valjean..."

The class went on as normal, notably a bit boring, but it went by quickly as did the rest of the day. Unfortunately for Alya, Marinette never got the chance to talk to Hector as Chloe swooped in and dragged him away in order to 'make up for lost time'. Even more depressing was that Chloe had gotten a hold of Nino and Adrien as well, leaving the poor blunette in the dust and looking despaired. Thankfully, Alya was there to comfort her and lead her towards the blogger's home.

"Come on," she cooed, "Let to go my place. Nothing cheers a person up more than sugary junk food and a binge-watch session of our favorite shows."

 oOoOoOoOo

Adrien was never comfortable staying in Chloe's home. La Grand Paris Hotel has always been the home of many of the city's administration, wealthy visitors and the current mayor of Paris AKA André Bourgeois, Chloe's father. Despite its sheer size and beautiful interior, Adrien still disliked coming here since the outcome would always be the same, ergo Chloe pushing him any of his unwilling friends, in this case Nino and Hector, into her room and just flaunting her wealth and power to them.

"Here is my humble abode," purred Chloe, waving her hand across the room.

"Yeah, real 'humble',' muttered Nino as he eyed the multiple pictures of Chloe across the room before spotting the large 24-carat framed poster of Adrien posing for his father's perfume line. Nino smacked his hand over mouth to hold back a laugh before elbowing Adrien and pointing to the poster. When he saw it, his face paled and his expression was a mix of apprehension and horror before burying his face into his hands.

Hector looked over to see what Nino and Adrien were making faces at and raised an eyebrow at the picture. "She's a...um...pretty big fan of your's, huh?" he asked, a bit amused. Adrien groan and really wished that he would have had a photo shoot, a meeting, a session, _anything_ to decline Chloe's invitation.

"...my bathtub is made of 24-carat solid gold! Pretty impressive isn't it," bragged Chloe, a haughty expression on her face, "But please, come in! My dad had our chef whip up some miniature lemon soufflé for you boys. Sabrina!" She hissed at the redhead that stood in the doorway, "Go tell the servers that they forgot to bring up the drinks! Now!" Once the meek assistant was gone, she turn to the boys and gave them a sugar-sweet smile, "I'm so sorry about that. The help here is so incompetent!"

The boys reluctantly took a seat on her sofa as she flick on her TV to Projet Fashion, a French copycat of America's Project Runway, then proceed to sit in between Hector and Adrien, her arms linking with theirs. "You know Adrien," began Chloe, snuggling up to him, "Have you told your dad about bring me on your trip to the Caribbean? If you haven't than that's no problem, my daddy will talk to him about getting nearby rooms so we don't have to go searching around for each other. Won't that be fun?"

'"Like a slow healing amputation," snickered Plagg, tucked securely in Adrien's pocket, "Have you told her that you talked your dad out of that cruise?"

_'This is probably a bad time to tell her that_ ,' thought Adrien, trying to worm his way out of Chloe's grasp. After weeks of convincing, Adrien had finally talked his dad out of that cruise overseas, stating that it would compromise his modeling career and promised to stay indoors for majority of the December month except for meetings and photo shoots. But it wasn't because he didn't want to be away from his friends or be stuck with Chloe for a month on a boat, though that last one was a big factor in him refusing the trip, it was because of the single most important event he had planned for months: Christmas Eve with Ladybug.

Yes, that's right. After months of poking, prodding and, shameful to say, begging, Chat Noir had finally gotten his Lady to agree on what is to be called a 'not-a-date' date. Chat already had the whole thing plan: all morning he would feed Plagg three large plates of cheese to last him the day, packing a few slices in case of emergency; at noon he would meet up with Ladybug at the Pont des Arts and take a walk around the Latin Quarter, buying some last minute gifts and having lunch, than crossing La Seine and taking a tour of Centre Pompidou's Winter Wonderland exhibit, showcasing many artworks whom themes center around the frost-bitten season; afterwards, they would head to Palais Garnier for an early dinner and watching the latest rendition of the Phantom of the Opera and end their not-date date watching the gorgeous light display atop the Eiffel Tower.

Adrien wanted everything to be perfect for that day, he wanted to show his Lady that he was completely honest about his feelings towards her and hope this not-date date would open her up to the possibility of being more than partners. It's why he fought so hard with his father to cancel his plan for the cruise, he could live with a little dry skin but not if he missed a golden opportunity to sweep his Ladybug off her feet. Which is why he was waiting for just the right moment to tell Chloe, preferably in a public place where she couldn't throw a temper tantrum or start her fake crying for him to change his mind.

Just then, a huge crash of what sounded like broken glass echoed through the hallway outside of Chloe's room. The blonde girl's smile was strained as she got up and marched through the door, slamming it behind her as she prepared to yell at whoever it was that cause that sound. Once gone, Nino snatched away the remote and started channel surfing. "Man, I thought she'd never stop talking," said Nino, "Thanks to whoever made that sound. Hope you survive Chloe's tantrum with your job intact."

"Yeah, Chloe is a bit...clingy," winced Hector, taking another bite of his soufflé.

"That's an understatement, dude," replied Nino, finally picking a crime-drama, then turning to Adrien, "You're not really going to spend a month on a cruise with her, are you?"

"My dad canceled the trip and just booked me a couple of indoor photo shoots and just told me to avoid going outside," stated Adrien, holding back the part of him convincing his dad to cancel the thing.

Nino raised his brow and smirked, "But you haven't told Chloe that little piece of information have you?"

"I'm...waiting for the right moment," grimaced Adrien at the mental image of telling Chloe that she'd been going solo on the cruise.

"Meaning you're waiting for it to be too late for her to refund her cruise ticket," Nino laughed, "Good idea! Maybe we can all have a Chloe-free Christmas this year."

"She's not that bad," defended Adrien. Chloe might have been mean, selfish and prideful, but she was his childhood friend, "She's just has trouble expressing herself properly..."

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY USELESS?!" Chloe's shrieking had vibrated throughout the building, causing the trio to jump out of their seats. "HOW CAN YOU MESS UP A SIMPLE TASK?! I TOLD YOU IN ADVANCE THAT MY NEW CHANEL BLOUSE AND PANTS COMBO HAD TO BE ORDER IN YELLOW AND WHITE! THIS IS PINK! I CAN'T WEAR THIS! TAKE IT BACK AND DO THE ORDER AGAIN OR YOU CAN KISS YOUR COZY POSITION AS MY DADDY'S ASSISTANT GOODBYE!"

"...yeah, she's really having trouble expressing herself," replied Nino sarcastically.

"So...what are your plans for the weekend?" asked Hector, deciding to speak up.

Adrien started digging into his dessert, "I have piano lessons to do Saturday morning then I have the rest of the day free and on Sunday I have another photo shoot to do which will take up most of the afternoon."

"Don't have anything plan for this weekend except stay home, eat junk food and start working on some mix tapes I've wanted to do," answered Nino, finishing up his soufflé and reaching for Adrien's, "What about you?"

"Oh, my dad is finally coming to visit and we're going to the Musée d'Orsay..." the Swiss boy was cut off the second his phone started to ring. Fishing his phone out of his pocket, Hector checked the caller ID and smiled, "It's my dad. I better take this. Excuse me."

Hector got up, turned the corner to the balcony and answered his phone, his voice getting fainter the farther he walked. Adrien couldn't help but frown at Hector's plan with his dad, it sounded like Hector and his father had good relationship. Yet his own father, the famed designer Gabriel Agreste, could barely spare a single word to his own son except if it was scold him for things he did or didn't do correctly. Adrien always envied his classmates' families, especially Marinette's parents who seem to do nothing but shower their daughter with love and compassion and here his other father showed him around like a prized show dog. Even Hector seem to have a better relationship with his dad than he did.

"Wait, what?!" Adrien and Nino turned around to see Hector talking into his phone, his voice getting louder and louder, and from the way he was slumped over the railing with that distraught look on his face it looked like he was receiving some bad news, "But you promise...no, I'm not...I understand your really busy...I'm not guilt-tripping you, I just wanted to...no...I understand. Some other time then. Bye dad."

Hector sighed, hitting the 'end call' button and trudged back into the room and collapsing back onto the couch. "Everything okay, dude?" asked Nino, looking worried, "You were talking pretty loudly.

"Oh, you heard?" Hector's cheeks turned a bit red in embarrassment, "Sorry about that. My dad had to cancel his visit due to a business meeting scheduled for this week. It's fine, nothing really surprising."

Nino's frowned, he was already familiar with this type of parenting, "So it's a normal thing for him to bail on spending time with you?"

"Well...kinda," Hector shoulders slumped down, "But honestly I shouldn't be surprise. Dad is the main bread winner of the family, earning six-figures and the CEO of a major finance firm back in Switzerland. So it's expected that most of his time is dedicated to the company."

Adrien couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Hector. His previous notions of Hector and his father's relationship pretty much dissipated after that bit of info. Maybe he and Hector had more in common did he previously thought. Hector let out a weak smile and waved his hand, "It's fine. I expected too much anyway. Sorry for laying out my problems on you guys."

"No worries, dude. One of us knows your situation pretty well," Nino nudged Adrien, motioning him to take over the conversation.

Hector stared at Adrien before the blonde model spoke, "Yeah, my dad's the same way. Completely career oriented, work-aholic, blunt to the point, you name it. He treats me more as a business partner than a son."

"Doesn't want you to 'shame the family name' huh?" stated Hector bitterly, "Wants everything picture perfect? Le Rosey was actually a blessing for me since my dad had my sister and I home-schooled since we we're little. Something about avoiding bad influences warping our minds or something."

"Me too!" blurted Adrien, amazed to find Hector was in the same boat as he was, "It took months for Mayor Bourgeois to convince my dad to allow me to attend Collège Françoise Dupont! And even longer to allow any of my friends to come over."

"Let me guess, he doesn't want you to hang out with 'questionable people', right?" smirked Hector, "My parents are real paranoid that I'll get caught up in the wrong crowd and I'll end up like one of those kids on TV, being arrested for doing drugs or planning a shooting or doing something crazy. Yet they can't find the time to at least acknowledge my presence or quit put off family functions for work."

The next half hour, Adrien and Hector began comparing their home lives before they started attending school. Much like Adrien's life, Hector recounted most of his childhood was spent inside his family's home, being taught by family tutors while attending a multitude of clubs that would reflect positively on his social standing. Hector and her sister were also pushed into their parents' work: his mother had them conduct interview and review magazine layouts while their father made them check current stock rates and look over the office when he was gone on business trips.

Adrien couldn't help but smile, finally someone understood what he was going through! Sadly, their conversation was cut short by Chloe reappearing back into the room, Sabrina behind struggling to carry a heavy serving tray of various drinks and sodas. "So sorry about the delay. There was a horrific incident that my dad's assistant was going through and I had to help the poor thing," said Chloe, "So who wants to talk about my plans for the upcoming winter holiday?"

 oOoOoOoOoOo

" _In other news, the police still have no suspects in regards to the Sleeping Beauties case_ ," Nadja Chamack reported, " _The victims' families are outrage by what they have perceived as 'ineffectiveness' on the investigation by the police. They still hold out hope that the perpetrator will be caught and the victims may open their eyes once more. Our sources tell us that Ladybug and Chat Noir are taking over the investigation and the families feel confident that they will_..."

Ladybug glared at her compact, the news report was airing live and all of Paris was being informed of the current state of the investigation, which according to Nadja was quickly becoming a standstill on the police's side. "Damn it," the masked heroine cursed under her breath, looking down at her current location: the Louvre. After watching reruns of Engrenages and The Returned and munching on sour cream & onion chips, Marinette bid goodbye to Alya once the clock chimed 4:30pm. Due to the winter season, the sun was barely seen on the horizon and with the 9:30 p.m. curfew still in place, Marinette had to book it to her home before it got too dark out.

She ducked into a nearby alleyway and transformed into Ladybug and started headed towards home before she realize that she had to call Chat about him meeting up with Marinette. But according to her her compact, the mangy Chat hadn't transformed yet or he was avoiding her call, though she doubt that last part. She had hope to get the measurements today and get to work on the coat tomorrow but it looks like it wasn't happening. Not only that, but she called ahead to her parents who told her that they were across town setting up a catering order and wouldn't be home until 11 p.m. And to top it off, the news media just spilled the beans on their involvement but told everyone that they were taking over the case.

' _So much for staying on neutral ground with the police_ ,' she thought bitterly, ' _Pretty sure that Officer Roger will be giving me the stink-eye too_.'

Glancing back at the museum, Ladybug notice the new banner for a current exhibit being held in the Louvre: _Medieval Mythology - Monsters of the Dark Ages_. Hiding behind a nearby wall, Ladybug de-transformed back into Marinette before heading towards the museum's double doors. "Where are we going, Marinette?" asked Tikki, peaking her head out of the girl's pink purse.

"I need to talk to Alix's father, Mr. Kubdel," replied Marinette, "I think there's something here that might help me with the Sleeping Beauties case."

Thankfully for Marinette, the Louvre wasn't as full as it normally was, just a handful of people taking a tour around the exhibits. After locating a directory and finding out where the Medieval Mythology exhibit was behind held, Marinette made a beeline for it. The exhibit itself was set up similarly to the Egyptian Exhibition held last year except it wasn't about the culture of Medieval Europe but rather the monsters, mythology and legends that emerged from that period. She recognized some of the monsters being showcased in the room; ogres, dragons, unicorns and manticores but not the one she was looking for.

'Maybe I overthinking things,' she thought, about to turn around, 'I should head home and start dinner...' She froze as she turned and spotted the painting that depicted the very monster she was looking for.

The painting itself send shivers down her spine: the women in the composition was draped over her bed, looking as if she had passed out, and dressed in blinding shades of white. Sitting on top of her chest was a hunched over creature, painted in dark shades of red, yellow and brown, glaring right at the viewer. In the background where silky red curtains drenched in shadows, a frightening image of a black horse with beady white eyes peaking its head through the drapes, a creepy spectator to the scene unfolding. For whatever reason, Marinette felt her body shiver.

"Quite the disturbing image isn't it," Marinette almost shrieked when she heard a man behind her speak, she didn't even hear footsteps! "Fuseli does some haunting imagery, doesn't he?"

Marinette turned around and sighed in relief when she saw Mr. Kubdel's kind blue eyes, rounded glasses and warm smile looking down on her. "Hello, Mr. Kubdel, I was actually looking for you," began Marinette, "You're in-charge of the exhibit, right? You must know a lot about Medieval monsters here."

Mr. Kubdel chuckled, "Well I'm more fond of Egyptian culture that Medieval Europe, but I am well versed in this time period as well. What can I assist you with?"

"This painting..." began Marinette, glancing up at the art work.

"Henry Fuseli's _The Nightmare_ ," answered Mr. Kubdel, "Painted in 1781, oil on canvas. Not exactly from the Medieval period but the theme does deal with one of the period's most feared monster."

"The Incubus," stated Marinette, staring at the short, gargoyle-looking monster on the woman's chest.

"Correct. It's been a very...popular topic recently...," he looked uncomfortable, shifting left and right, "May I ask why you're interested? Is it because..."

"I have to do a paper on Medieval legends for history class," blurted out Marinette. It wasn't a complete like, she did have a paper on Medieval legends due last week but she'd rather tell Mr. Kubdel that excuse rather tell him her interest came from the Sleeping Beauties case. According to Alya, the mythology on the monster had become a popular topic due to the case, causing people to develop a morbid obsession with the origins and stories on the monster. "I wanted to do unicorns but I got stuck with the incubus."

"Ah, I remember Alix telling me about that" stated Mr. Kubdel, looking more relaxed, then turned to the painting, "Well, the incubus is known as a dream demon, invading the minds of female victims and having relations with the women in their dreams. Like their female counterparts, the succubus, incubus are shapeshifters and often inhabit the bodies of incredibly attractive and charming human men, making it easy to seduce their targets."

' _Excluding the dream part, this matches what the Parisian Incubus is doing_ ,' thought Marinette, "Is there a way to tell where someone is an incubus? Is it possible to make them turn themselves back to their original state?"

Mr. Kubdel laughed, shaking his head, "THAT'S the tricky part. There is no record of whether or not it's possible or if the demon itself has an original form. Some claim that incubus has changed their bodies so much that they no longer remember what they originally look like and thus lost their true form. There are some writings that if a woman allows an incubus in her dreams that he will reveal himself to her or if he has an extremely cold body part, but again that is just speculations."

Marinette frowned, ' _So there is no way to get the akuma, if it is an akuma, to reveal itself_ ,' she concluded.

Mr. Kubdel continued, "Although, some demonologists claimed that incubus hold small feature that indicative of their demon nature: sharp claws, red eyes, ashy or blacken skin that they hide with their shapeshifting abilities."

Marinette suddenly remember the claw marks on the brick wall of Amanda's and Kathy's crime scene. She turned and smiled at Mr. Kubdel, "Thanks for your help, Mr. Kubdel. Please tell Alix I said hi and I'll see her in class. Have a good night."

After Marinette bid her goodbye, she quickly jogged towards the front exit. The sun had completely set and the moon shone brightly overhead. Despite it all, Paris was beautiful at night; all the streetlights, buildings lights and the lights of the Eiffel Tower came alive and made it seem like it was twilight. She decided against transforming again, not wanting to tire out Tikki, and took a scenic route to get home. It took longer but help relax Marinette when she reached her home, making sure to lock up the bakery before heading upstairs.

"Did what Mr. Kubdel say help you?" asked Tikki, popping out of her bag once Marinette reached her living room.

"Somewhat," admitted Marinette, pulling out a plate of cookies from the fridge and placing it on the counter for Tikki, "There were puncture holes in the brick wall that could be tied with claws. Maybe I was right and this is the work of an akuma. But these attacks started three months ago, can akumas possess humans for that long?"

"If their negative emotions are strong enough, it's possible," said Tikki, taking a bite of a sugar cookie, "But it's really rare for them to go that long in a human body. Not to mention that other akumas have popped up while this one has been roaming around, if this _is_ an akuma we're dealing with."

"Can Hawk Moth send out multiple akumas at once?" asked Marinette, taking a chocolate chip cookie for herself.

Tikki paused, "Yes, but it takes took much power out of him if he does. He usually only reserves that much power for an extremely deadly akuma."

Licking off the crumbs of her fingers, Marinette asked one more question, "Tikki...this akuma is a shapeshifter, meaning he's always hiding his true nature. Is it possible that you can't sense him?"

The tiny kwami froze, lowering her cookie, a frighten look passed her face, "It's...not impossible. Usually I don't have to actually sense anything since the akuma-ized villain makes their presence known after their transformation. There haven't been akumas that use stealth when fighting against Miraculous holders and even still there would be some sort of calling card or some sort of attacks targeting Miraculous holders."

This information scared Marinette. This akuma could hide his presence from Tikki! As if being a shapeshifter didn't make their mission difficult enough as it is! "However..." pipped Tikki, "I can sense traces of an akuma around a person if that person has spent long periods of time around them."

"The victims!" shouted Marinette.

"I couldn't tell from Nancy, Caitlyn, Biddy or the other girls, but Amanda was the most recent and I recalled feeling minuet traces of an akuma on her skin at the time, but I didn't piece things together until now," answered Tikki.

"Well..." said Marinette, scooping up her tiny kwami, "At least we we're able to get some useful information if we ever confront the akuma."

Marinette carried Tikki upstairs towards her room and decided to turn in for the night, forgetting dinner completely. Changing into her pajamas, Marinette crawled back into bed before realizing something. "Tikki, you said that akumas have calling cards right?"

"Yep! Like Monsieur Pigeon with his army of pigeons, the Bubbler with his bubbles and Stormy Weather's control of the weather, each akuma has their own special sign that tells people who was responsible," answered Tikki, "Are you trying to find out this akuma's calling card?"

"Leaving girls in comas isn't exactly a calling card, at least I hope it's not," relayed Marinette, "Maybe there was something around them that the police missed. I have to check it out ASAP."

Marinette laid back onto the bed, head swarming with ideas, thoughts, theories and possibilities. Images of the victims' sleeping faces flashed in her mind and her resolved to stop this akuma intensified. She didn't care want the akuma's reasons for attacking these girls, they were someone's daughter, someone's sister, friend and classmates. Even if their personalities were less than pleasant, that was no reason to put them in a near death state. During this internal rant, Marinette's eyes grew heavy and she already fell asleep.

 oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Well that took way longer than it should have," muttered Nino the jokingly nudging to Adrien, "When you tell Chloe the truth about the cruise, mind if I record the whole thing?"

Adrien sighed, "Please don't." He rubbed the sleep from his eye and leaned in the seat of his limo, wanting to close his eyes and sleep.

Chloe spend a good three hours telling the three boys her plans while she and Adrien were on the cruise. Plans ranging from the two attending all the couples event and activities like ballroom dancing and ice skating. Adrien just faked a smile and bared with Chloe's over enthusiastic chattering while Nino held back his laughter and Hector politely nodded every once in a while. Mid-brag, Chloe turned to Hector and ask if, once she gets back from her cruise, he would like to spend a week with her at her family's favorite ski-resort in the French Alps.

"You and I could have such a grand time up there!" cooed Chloe, switching from Adrien to Hector, "I know it won't be ask long as mine and Adrien's cruise but it will be just as romantic and cozy. Plus I can see all those incredible skiing skills you told me about."

And thus the conversation became a back-and-forth for Chloe, taking about her cruise trip in December and a possible ski trip with Hector the week before school started up in January. Hector tried to decline as nicely as he could, but Chloe either wouldn't take no for an answer or believed he would change his mind later and was 'too shy' to say yes now. Nino was ignored by the yapping blonde girl but that just gave him the opportunity to raid her fridge, her tv channels and her music collection. Sadly the only good thing Chloe had was her food.

"These mix tapes are awesome, Nino," exclaimed Hector, pulling off his headphones, "Though I don't recognize some of the songs, do you have the playlist for it?"

"Sure," Nino fishes in his backpack for his notebook, "Some of them are original songs that are popular here in Paris but a few are remixes I made on programs like Mixvibes Cross and Magix Digital DJ."

Nino started chattering away about his mix tapes, how he made them, how long it took him and the programs he used to Hector who asked his own questions. The two looked really happy talking to each other and Hector was a great guy who seemed to love making friends. Adrien was incredibly happy to have another friend, being without a single companion for years, with the exception of Chloe, made him yearn for any close bonds with other people. And Hector seemed to be that way too by the way he took to his new school with such happiness.

"You've got to teach me how to make these," asked Hector, "People might think that cassettes are too old fashion but I really like vintage stuff. I actually have these old-style Polaroid camera back home that I like to use for the nostalgia."

"Really? Mind if borrow one? I would love to catch Alya off-guard with one of those Polaroid camera flash," laughed Nino.

Hector laughed too, "Sure, I'll have someone mail it to me at my apartment."

"You sure love to mess with Alya," spoke Adrien, an eyebrow raised and a mischievous smile on his face, "You have a crush on her?"

He'd never seen Nino face turn into many shades of red before and Hector burst out laughing, "Wow, that's a nice shade of red you're turning."

"Shut up..." muttered Nino, looking down, "Like you guys don't have crushes on anyone. Mr. Perfect here is crushing hard on Ladybug."

Now it was Adrien's who was turning red," I don't...how did you..."

"Dude, your three computer plus TV wallpaper says it all," smirked Nino, "You really need to put a password on those things."

Hector smiled, "No shame in that. It's kinda like having a celebrity crush, right? Ladybug's bigger than life and looks invincible, confident and brave."

Adrien smiled sheepishly. He couldn't tell them that it wasn't a celebrity crush, those are reserved for people crushing hard on movie stars, singers, models, people that they knew they had no chance at. He actually knew Ladybug, meet up with her nearly every night and trusted each other with their life. And his love wasn't a fleeing admiration, though he did look up to her, he actually felt genuine feeling for her. Adrien wanted to know the woman behind the mask, to become closer with her, to be able to hang out with her as Adrien, not just as Chat Noir. But, like she always told him, he knew the dangers of knowing the person behind the mask and what would happen if Hawk Moth found out. He'd just have to bite his tongue and bear with it. For now at least.

"Well what about you, Hector?" asked Nino, "Has any pretty girls caught your eye?"

Hector looked down with a shy smile, rubbing the back of his head, "Well...there is this one girl I kinda would like to talk to."

Nino leaned in forward, "Come on, who is it? I swear we won't tell, right Adrien?" Adrien nodded and glanced at Hector.

"It's...the girl we met at the bakery," revealed Hector, "The one that sits behind Adrien in class. Marinette."

For some strange reason, Adrien felt a lump for in throat, "Marinette?" he asked again. He didn't know why, but Hector having a crush on Marinette felt unacceptable to him.

Nino chuckled, "Is it because she smells like freshly baked bread or because you like a girl that can cooks?"

"Ha, ha, ha, real funny Nino," Hector said dryly, "But no, I think Marinette is really sweet and I would like to get to know her."

"So why don't you ask her out?" asked the DJ, "With Armistice Day this Wednesday, you'll have an opportunity."

"I don't know," Hector said, a dejected look on his face, "I don't want to bother her."

"Come on," Nino patted him on the back, "Marinette's a nice girl. The worse is that she could reject you."

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence," replied Hector sarcastically.

Adrien squirmed a bit at the conversation. Why was he feeling so uncomfortable with Hector liking Marinette? Sure, she is a sweet, kind and, sometimes, sassy girl, but she wasn't particularly close to her. She was his friend, at least he thinks they were. ' _Are we close enough to be friends or are we still just 'classmates', I mean she considers Chat Noir to be her friend, right_?' the blonde model's mind swirled with rambled thoughts, ' _Hector's a cool dude and it's not like I have a crush on Marinette. After all, my heart is specifically for my Lady_.'

Everything was confusing; on one hand, Adrien liked Hector and would be supportive if he asked Marinette on a date. On the other hand, the mere thought of Marinette and Hector together didn't sit right with him, though he had no clue why. And it wasn't as if he could tell Hector NOT to ask Marinette out, especially without a reason. Marinette wasn't his girlfriend or anything, they we're very close and she could date whoever she wanted, that last statement made him upset for some strange reason. Plus, Hector was his friend and if he liked someone he should be supportive and help him out, right?

"Okay," said Hector, snapping Adrien out of his thoughts, "I'll see if I can ask Marinette out. But you guys have to help me."

"Deal," smiled Nino, "We'll make sure you don't chicken out."

"Again, thanks for the vote of confidence," joked Hector, "Can you at least put in a good word for me? I don't want her to have a bad impression of me."

Nino waved off his concern, "No problem, dude. It'll be our pleasure, right Adrien."

"Yeah," forced Adrien, smiling weakly. Why on earth was he felling so upset?

"Thanks guys," smiled Hector before looking out the window, "Well, this is my stop. Thanks again, for both the ride and the help."

The two classmates waved goodbye at the Swiss student as the car drove off. Nino leaned back, putting away his mix tapes, "Don't worry about talking to Marinette, if you want I'll talk to her. We know how _nervous_ she gets when you're around." That last part was always said in a laugh which Adrien never got. What was so funny about Marinette becoming shy around him?

Nino's house came up a few blocks up a head and the two boys bid each other goodbye and would meet up tomorrow at the steps of the school. Adrien was then alone, leaning back into the plush leather interior as he gazed out the window. It was already 7:45 p.m. and all the lights of Paris were shining brightly, illuminating the streets. Passing by was Tom's & Sabine's Bakery, Marinette's home, all the lights out with the OPEN sign switched to CLOSED.

He didn't know why he was hoping the bakery was still open. What would he do if it was? Was he hoping Marinette was there? What would he even say? Would he keep his promise and try to persuade her to go out with Hector? His stomach didn't agree at all with that question and he sunk deeper into the couch. Why was he feeling this way?! Marinette was a nice girl and could date whoever she wished, who was he to tell her who she could and couldn't date? And why wouldn't she date Hector? He was smart, handsome, kind and influential, a lot of girl's dream guy.

Beside, Marinette was always jumpy around him. He probably wouldn't be able to home a conversation with her for long. Heck, if the bakery was open and he did go it, his presence would just be all source of uncomfortable. Her nervousness around him will cause her to lose focus, trip over her feet, knock something over or prick her finger while sew a coat...

"Oh no! I forgot!" exclaimed Adrien, his outburst causing the driver to screech the car to a stop.

"Sir, did you forget something?" asked the large chauffeur, "Shall I turn the car around?"

"No, no, it's fine," replied Adrien sheepishly, "I'll just get it tomorrow."

The chauffeur shrugged and continue to drive the car while Adrien kept a pleasant face but was internal screaming at himself. How could he forget that he had to visit Marinette for the coat measurements! It was too late to go to Marinette's home as there seemed to be no one in or they had all turned in early, plus there was the curfew still in place so that was an issue as well. Adrien groaned, Marinette must think Chat Noir is such a flake! His first fan and he couldn't even keep an appointment for a simple measurement.

Once home, Adrien booked it towards his room where Plagg, loudly and annoyingly, stated how happy he was to finally be able to breath and dove directly towards a plate of cheese Adrien pulled out. After eating his fill, he quickly transformed into Chat Noir and left a quick message for Ladybug on his communicator, stating that he had a 'family emergency' and couldn't meet up with Marinette tonight but will do it tomorrow and asked her to relay the information. He de-transformed and flopped onto the bed after sending the message.

"Ugh, I hate when we visit that bratty blonde girl's house. Why do you always have to go there!" complained Plagg, "Not only does she talk too much but she wears too much perfume! I swear, forget the akuma, the stench of that perfume alone will kill me."

"...yeah, I should tell her to tone it down," replied Adrien, not really paying attention.

Plagg took notice of that, "What's your problem? You usually make some stupid defense about her being your childhood friend and that she's not 'that bad' or something."

"It's not Chloe, it's Hector. It's about what he said in the limo..." Adrien trailed off.

"Oh, I get it," said Plagg, swallowing a large piece of cheese, "You're jealous that Hector is stealing away your 'number one fan' Marinette, right?"

"What! No! Not at all!" defended Adrien, sitting up on his bed and shaking his head, "Marinette is a sweet girl and Hector is one of my friends and if they want to go out then I'll let them..."

"Save your excuse for someone who's actually buying them," Plagg cut off, "You're protective of her because she your fan and looks at you as a person and not as Ladybug sidekick or someone to date for the status like everyone else you meet. You've gain my more 'territorial' trait in you."

"W-what?! What do you mean territorial?!" gasped Adrien. As if Plagg's more feline traits weren't embarrassing enough when he was Chat Noir, now they were seeping into Adrien's life too!

"Cats are extremely territorial creatures and we HATE when someone or something takes something of ours away from us," explained the black cat kwami, "We mark territories in order to ward off others from moving in on our base. Usually, a cat marks its territory because it's their home base or a place they like to frequent or a person or place they feel comfortable around. When you're with Marinette, you do feel comfortable and happy around her, at least as Chat Noir you do, and don't like the idea of someone taking her away."

"A-are you saying I MARKED Marinette?!" Adrien started to panic. Marinette was already nervous around Adrien, he didn't want her heading for the hill when she saw Chat Noir!

"Calm down," replied Plagg, continuously munching on his precious plate of cheese, "You haven't PHYSICALLY marked her, merely psychologically. Marinette isn't going to run away if she sees Chat Noir. It simply means that as Chat Noir, you recognize Marinette as a source of warmth, affection and comfort."

Adrien gaped at Plagg in horror, "I...that's not...Marinette...I love Ladybug!"

Plagg raised an eyebrow, "Never said you didn't. I mean it's just one of your cat traits showing up in your life. It's like you being a spoiled kid and don't want to share your favorite toy."

"I'm not a spoiled kid," muttered Adrien, changing into his pajamas, "And Marinette isn't a toy."

"And you're too sensitive," teased Plagg, swallowing the last piece of cheese, "I'm just saying that you're happy around Marinette when you're Chat Noir because she treats you like a person and sees you as Ladybug's equal and you're afraid that once she goes out with Hector, she'll forget all about Chat Noir. I may not know this girl, but does that sound like something she would do? Forget her friends when she gets a boyfriend?"

"No..." said Adrien, crawling into bed, "Marinette is sweet and selfless. She'd never forget anyone."

"See! Now quit being so dramatic and get me more cheese," cried Plagg.

Adrien chuckled and turned out the light, "Good night, Plagg." He ignored his kwami groan of disappointment and closed his eyes. Maybe he was over thinking things and it was just Plagg's trait overriding his rational thoughts. Hector was his friend and if he like Marinette, who was he to stop them from dating? However, that turning sensation in his stomach didn't fade away.

 oOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Once in the safety of his apartment, he began laughing. He couldn't believe how easy it was to fool those three! Alya was utterly devoted to her friend and only wanted the best for her, putting her friend's happiness above her own. Sadly she thought he was best for Marinette, oh how she'll come to regret that decision. Nino wasn't difficult either. Much like Alya, he was friendly, helpful and naive, plus his overprotective nature for his friend was a leverage he used when doing the whole 'neglected child' bit._

_And then there was poor, little Adrien. My god, it was just too easy with that kid. His whole tragic 'neglected son, absentee father, sheltered upbringing' background made the boy susceptible and desperate for approval and warmth from others. And coupled with that annoyance of a mayor's daughter as a childhood friend, Adrien was just starved for any source of love that could fill the emptiness inside me. He didn't have work hard to earn his friendship, merely the act of being in his shoes, the phone-bit with his 'father' canceling, and the boy already was trading life stories. How pathetic._

_Despite that, he felt bad for using the boy. It wasn't his fault his father was indifferent nor that he was sheltered throughout his life. But perhaps he'll learn from this experience about trusting too quickly. Now that the first stage of his plan was over, the second stage will commence. Alya was already pushing Marinette towards him and soon so will Nino and Adrien. Marinette, ever the people pleaser, will eventually give in and go out with him. And then he'll strike._

_Marinette was like many girls her age: confused and insecure. Unlike his target who merely covered up their insecurities with money, clothes and partying, Marinette was more practical and honest with her feelings. When he took that first taste of her, he gain some insight in her feelings, feelings he would use to warp her mind and heart, further cementing his control over her until he could drain ever last bit of energy from her. And once that was done, he would go after Ladybug and Chat Noir._

_"Bring me the Miraculous!" the Voice growled._

_"Yes, yes," he said, smiling, "You'll get your Miraculous soon enough and I'll get what I wanted."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene! Whoo that was long! Sorry for the wait, between flying back home, Thanksgiving break, Black Friday, writing my chapters, flying back to school, finals, and then fly back home takes a lot out of you. Plus I'm finally free of school and that soul-crushing anxiety I was suffering from. P.S. I don't know my grades for the class so I need to get on that shit, Miraculous Ladybug has taken over my life X( This chapter is not beta-read so forgive me for any grammar errors I may have missed.
> 
> Also watching the English dub of Miraculous, kinda eh and I prefer the French version but still watching it out of respect to the show. Plus they just nailed Hawk Moth's voice.
> 
> Another note, I can't find the line break thing when I'm posting my chapter, did they remove it? X(


	6. Monopolize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I promised, a new chapter on the 23th of December! MariChat/Chatinette fans rejoice, here is the chapter you want AKA the coat measurement chapter. It's not much as I'm not much of a romance writer nor do I really like all that mushy romance stuff but Miraculous has turned me! So here is my weak attempt at fluff and some flirting between the two. Also, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the lovely FieryArtemis/FieryArtemisProductions, consider it my Secret Santa gift for you (even though I didn't participate in the Secret Santa thing, I still wanted to dedicated this chapter for you. Plus I used your nickname for Marinette, Miss Couture).
> 
> Again, this chapter is not beta-read but I hope Nefres is doing okay and is enjoying the fic, as well as all my other fans :) Anyway, on with the show:

Adrien became more and more restless throughout the school day, his leg bouncing up and down, wishing the clock would move faster. Nino laughed a bit, saying something about him finally 'being a normal teenager' and 'wanting school to end soon, just like everyone else'. But it wasn't that Adrien hated school, nope he still enjoyed the classes and the overall experience of attending, it was that he had to leave in order to turn into Chat Noir and visit Marinette for his coat measurements.

His text message to Ladybug went unanswered and he was worried that she might have been upset that he failed to keep his promise. Adrien couldn't tell if Marinette was upset about it, from the short glances he took behind, she looked fine, doodling into her notebook but looking up every once in a while to make sure the teacher wouldn't catch her. ' _Maybe I should bring a gift as a apology_?' thought Adrien, trying to think what he give to the baker's daughter.

"You should ask him during lunch," whispered Alya, Adrien's non-present cat ears perked up, "I can distract Chloe and you can talk to him when he leaves the class."

"I don't know Alya," replied Marinette, keeping her voice low, "I don't want to bother him."

Alya groaned and rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything else and just stared at the blackboard in front of her. ' _What are they talking about? Who should Marinette ask? And ask about what_?' thought Adrien.

"Mr. Agreste! Would you mind telling the class how radiocarbon is produced in the atmosphere?" hissed Mme. Mendeleiev, glaring down at the blonde model.

"Uh...radiocarbon is produced as a result of collision between fast neutrons and nitrogen nuclei present in the atmosphere," stuttered Adrien.

Mme. Mendeleiev glared at him but turned and said, "Correct. Next time please keep your eyes forward."

Adrien turned red in embarrassment and sunk a bit in his chair while Nino patted him on the back. Physics, thankfully, ended early and the students started heading out for lunch. Chloe raced next to Adrien, Hector dragged along with her, "Oh Adrien are you alright? Mme. Mendeleiev is such a witch! How dare she try to humiliate you in class! I'll make sure my father hears about her incompetence as a teacher."

"It's fine, Chloe," said Adrien, "It was my fault anyway for not paying attention."

Chloe ignored him and continued to go on and on about how her father will contact the school to have the teacher reprimanded. Hector turned to Marinette and Alya and waved at the two girls, offering them a warm smile. Alya smiled back, nudging Marinette underneath the table, and Marinette offered a wave back, though her smile was strained. Chloe, after finishing her rant, yanked Hector out of the classroom, "Come on Hector! My dad made reservations at this restaurant around the corner and I'm dying to try it."

Alya frowned, realizing that she wouldn't be able to pry Hector away from Chloe during the lunch period after all, but smiled and said to Marinette, "We'll talk to Hector after school."

"You girls want to talk to Hector?" asked Nino, he then glanced at Alya, "Falling for the new boy?"

"Pff, as if!" smirked Alya, "He may be cute but he ain't my type." The blogger than turned to Marinette. "Though Miss Couture here might be his cup of tea."

Marinette turned red, "A-Alya! That's not true. I barely know the guy!"

"Well he sure seems to want to know you," teased Nino, "Hector's really cool once you get to know him, right Adrien?"

"Yeah, you should give him a chance," replied Adrien, smiling at Marinette, "Why don't you two hang out during the holiday? You never know, you two might have more in common then you think."

"See Marinette, even these two can see Hector's interested in you," Alya smiled, she playfully elbowed her, "Come on, stop being so suspicious and just go talk to him."

Nino laughed, "Better agree with Alya. She'll never let it go if you refuse."

"Haha, very funny, but seriously Marinette, the guy is really sweet. Who knows, he may be your prince charming," answered the blogger.

Horrible, gut-wrenching sadness overtook Marinette as her friends continue to convince her to hang out with Hector. Alya, Nino and Adrien, her sweet crush, all were trying to push her towards the Swiss student, it felt as if they were ganging up on her. Even though she started to believe that her initial feelings of Hector were just weird coincidences, she still had apprehension on getting close to him. It was bad enough when Alya and Nino were urging her towards Hector but now Adrien! A slap to the face would have hurt less than that!

Adrien smiled as he started pointing out the good traits of Hector while Marinette kept a straight face, not wanting to burst out crying. ' _I don't want to go out with Hector! I want to go out with you_!' she cried in her head. Does this mean that Adrien didn't see her in that way? Did he only see Marinette as a friend, classmate and nothing more? Would he reject her if she asked him out? Would his rejection steam from his friendship with Hector or he just didn't see her as girlfriend-material? Marinette felt the tears pool in the back of her eyes but she willed them back from spilling, no need to embarrass herself now.

She was eternally grateful when her phone started ringing and excused herself to answer it, leaving the trio in the classroom to finish packing up. Once outside, Marinette made a beeline towards the back row of lockers, out of sight from any nearby students still lingering and opened her purse, only to have Tikki fly out. Her phone wasn't ringing anymore, but the screen was open to the Sound Options on the Setting App.

"I saw that you were distressed so I played your ringtone to fake a call," replied Tikki, touching her Miraculous holder's cheek, "Are you going to be alright?"

"Fine," Marinette croaked, her voice noticeably cracking, "Just give me a minute."

Tikki sat on Marinette's shoulder as she checked herself in her pocket mirror, making sure here eyes didn't tear up or didn't look red or puffy. She knew that Alya, Adrien and Nino were her friends and that they meant no harm as they were only looking out for her, trying to make her happy but their words had stung her more than they knew. Once satisfied, Tikki slinked back into her purse while Marinette walked back into class. Nino and Adrien were already gone, obviously heading out to eat, while Alya was still on her phone. Grabbing her bag, the young designer nudged Alya back into reality, "Come on. My mom prepared some sweet and sour pork back at my place."

 oOoOoOoOo

After lunch, the school day went by incredible fast and, once the bell rang, the students shot out of their seats and ran out the door. Adrien and Nino were the first ones to leave and, unfortunately, Chloe had not loosen her grip on Hector and was dragging him away, talking about having him escort her throughout her trip to the mall. Sabrina wasn't far behind, carrying both hers and Chloe's bags. Alya groaned at yet another missed opportunity while Marinette breathed a sigh on relief.

' _Never thought I would be grateful for Chloe's spoiled attitude_ ,' thought Marinette as she packed away her notebook. While Alya was ranting about how selfish Chloe was and how sorry she was about not being able to separate the blonde witch from Hector, Marinette waved off her concerns and started checking her messages. None on her regular phone but Tikki had told her that she had an unread text from Chat Noir she had to check.

"Oh well, maybe next time," said Marinette, halting Alya mid-rant, "Anyway I got to go. My mom made me promise to clean up my room after school ends."

"Lucky you, at least it's just your room," said Alya, slinging on her pack, "My parents are going out tonight so I'm stuck on babysitting duty."

The two friends bid goodbye and Marinette started heading towards her home which was only a short walk. Giving her parents a quick 'hello' with her mother reminding her to clean her room, the young designer entered her bedroom and had Tikki transformed her. Chat's message was short, "Forgive me, My Lady. I had a family emergency to attend today and was unable to visit Marinette for the measurements. Please tell her that I will arrive at her home tomorrow around 5 p.m. and not a moment later."

Ladybug looked up at the clock and freaked out when it showed it was 4:55 p.m. Chat Noir would be here in just a few minutes! Tikki de-transformed her and Marinette started running around her room, removing any and all embarrassing evidences. All images of Adrien were stripped from the wall, her Adrien wallpaper on her computer was swapped out with that of an image of Paris at night, and her diary was locked inside her 'hand-trap' box, as Sabrina called it once.

Once sure that her room was humiliation-free, she relaxed and flopped herself onto her chaise lounge, only to jump up when she heard loud 'thump' from above her room followed by a crash. "Guess he's here," muttered Marinette as she climbed up her towards her bed and pushed open the trap door onto the rooftop balcony. As predicted, Chat Noir was there, looking very distraught, and standing next to a pile of broken potted plants.

"Just so you know, those plants cost 5€ a piece," stated Marinette dryly. Her mom was definitely going to chew her out, those herb plants were recently bought.

"My apologize, Princess," replied Chat Noir, "Can't help it. My bad luck, I mean. I'll pay you back."

Marinette rolled her eyes, "No need. Just come in," and motioned Chat Noir to follow her inside. Pink, that was the first thing Chat Noir thought of as soon as he entered, that Marinette's room was very, very pink. Her bed laid underneath the trapdoor, making for a very comfy landing while a set of stairs lead to a more spacious room below that was a mixture of a lounge area and a studio. On her walls were various posters, ceramic wall decors of red zinnia and various sketches of clothing designs ranging from formal to business to prêt-à-porter, designs his own father would approve of. Other decors shifted towards more Oriental styles such as the red parasol, Chinese storage boxes and miniature room divider. Marinette made her way towards a pair of mannequins: a pink one with her signature M sewed on it that looked more decorative than functional and an off-white one that mimicked the male figure.

The pink mannequin was draped with a ladybug-printed peacoat with a functioning furred hood, looking ready to be worn, while the male mannequin had a sort of mock prototype jacket over it made from linen. Tacked on top on the mannequin was a finished sketch of the design: a black stand-up collar trench coat with a single row of metallic green buttons that are to be button up on the far right than the center. There was a arrow pointed to the collar with the sentence 'add hood? ask C.N.' writing on it in cursive hand. "Your design is _paw-sitively purr-fect_ ," gushed Chat Noir, "And yes, I would like a hood."

"You want cat ears with that hood?" teased Marinette, pulling out her sewing tape.

Chat Noir smirked, "Why not. Might as well since it goes with my name." He held his arms out to his side and parallel to the ground automatically as he was already used to his father's designers taking his measurements multiple time.

Marinette unrolled the tape measure and wrapped it around Chat Noir's neck, "Be still."

"Only if you're gentle," purred Chat Noir, his voice getting a bit lower.

Red painted Marinette's cheek in both embarrassment and annoyance and she 'accidentally' tighten the tape measure around Chat's neck, causing him to choke a little. "Oops, my bad. Maybe it would be best if you stay quiet during this," giggled Marinette.

Rubbing his neck, Chat Noir complied with the request and kept his mouth shut as Marinette took his measurements. Unlike his father's endless stream of seamstresses, tailors, designers and the occasional nutritionist who poke, prodded and pulled at him, the baker's daughter was incredible gentle and quick with her work. While she went back and forth with her task, jotting down the measurements on a nearby notebook, Chat couldn't help but notice the faint aroma of baked bread, sugar and chocolate coming from the girl. It wasn't a big surprise, her parents owned the bakery downstairs and she was often assisting them with their baking, but it seemed such a novelty as he never noticed it before. Maybe it was because he was Chat Noir and his senses where heighten or that she was in such close proximity to him with her stuttering or freaking out.

"Done!" announced Marinette, snapping Chat Noir out of his thoughts, "Thanks again for stopping by. Hope I didn't take too much of your time."

"Not at all, princess," stated Chat, "And since you're working so hard to make such wonderful coats for my Lady and I, I wanted to give you something. Wait right here."

Before she could utter a word, Chat Noir was already climbing up her stairs and exited through the trapdoor only to reemerge a few seconds later with a medium-size gift box, wrapped beautifully with black and pink ribbons. Marinette, to say the least, was shocked. Usually she would expect this kind of behavior from Chat, but it would always be towards Ladybug, not Marinette! "Consider this as an apology for making you wait," said Chat Noir, pushing the gift into her hands.

"You only missed a day," she reasoned as she felt the silk ribbons that formed the beautiful bow on top of the present.

Chat Noir offered a cheeky smile, "But it's considered impolite to keep a young lady waiting. Especially a beautiful young girl such as yourself."

Marinette rolled her eyes but started opening the box. Here eyes widen as she pulled out her gift: a black, cat-eared knit beanie and matching knit scarf. "Chat...you really shouldn't have..."

Chat couldn't help the Cheshire Cat smile growing on his face, the look of surprised bliss and on Marinette's face was adorable and he reveled in the fact that he was the cause of it. "Try it on," he said, pulling out the scarf and already wrapping it around her neck.

Marinette placed the box on the counter while she pulled out the hat and secured it on her head. Looking in the mirror, she couldn't help but think how cute the combo was and how soft the yarn was and the intricate design used for it. "They're beautiful, Chat. Thank you."

"Anything for my dear princess," bowed Chat, "After all, your coat will protect me from the bitter winter chill coming soon. It's simply meow-nificent!"

She held back a groan and rolling her eyes, that last pun was terrible! Smirking, Marinette carefully folded her gift and put them away for another time. "Thanks for coming," said Marinette, "And thank you for the gift. I'll have your coat ready in a few days."

"No rush. Rushing someone's design can lead to poor quality," at least that's what Adrien's father always told him, "And I should take my leave. Unless you can not bare to be away from me too long. Though I don't blame you, I'm quite a cat-ch!"

Laughing, Marinette placed her hands on her hips, "Oh yes, Chat Noir," she drawled out sarcastically, "Your very sight causes me to swoon uncontrollably."

"Careful princess, I may just steal you away from some hopeful prince yearning for you attention," replied Chat Noir teased.

Before she could let out another witty banter, a notification popped up on Marinette's computer, followed by a loud ding sound. Marinette saw that it was from Alya sending the message: ' **Got** **off the phone w/ Hector. He's still stuck with Chloe XP You finally got an answer to the famed question: do you want to hang out with him?** ' which caused the bluenette to sigh in irritation. She entered a quick answer, stating that she needed more time to think, before hitting send.

"Who's Hector?" asked Chat Noir, his breathe ghosting over her neck.

While she was reading, Chat Noir had slinked up behind her, barely an inch part from her and looking over her shoulder as she read her message. Marinette bite her lip to keep herself from squealing from fright and used her hand to gently push Chat Noir's face away from hers. "Hector is a student from my school," answered Marinette, walking back towards the mannequins, "He's new and my friend wants me to hang out with him."

"And you don't?" Chat questioned, "You know it's rude to lead someone on."

"First off, I don't know the guy, hardly talk to him so I'm not 'leading him on,'" replied Marinette, getting a bit peeved off with the Hector subject continuously popping up, "Secondly...I don't feel comfortable around him."

That bit of info shocked Adrien. Not comfortable around Hector? Hector was one of the kindest and most understanding person he knew, why wouldn't Marinette be comfortable around him? "Did he do something to you?" he asked, trying to sound like an outsider looking in.

"No...he's just...I mean Hector is really nice and kind and everyone seems to like him," stated Marinette, "But I just get a weird feeling when I around him."

"Love at first sight?" suggested Chat, raising an eyebrow with a teasing smirk.

Marinette huffed, "Hardly. I like someone else and I don't want people to get the wrong idea if I start hanging out with Hector."

"You're probably just overreacting, princess," advised Chat Noir, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "This Hector seems like an o.k. guy, why not just give him a shot? Unless you're far too mesmerized by me."

He didn't know if it was Adrien's promise to Hector that made him say those words but they came out. Adrien was sure that Marinette's concerns were unfounded and were probably due to her shyness around new people like she was with him. However, Marinette was more annoyed and confused than ever. First Alya was pushing her towards Hector, telling her how silly she was to avoid him, then Adrien and Nino were stating what an amazing guy he was, and now Chat was saying that she was overreacting!

"You know what, forget I asked," growled Marinette, removing his arm from her body and pushing him towards the window, "Well it was great seeing you again. Thanks again for the gift and I'll call Ladybug when I'm done with your coats."

"Whoa! What's the rush, princess?" uttered Chat Noir, halting Marinette's action, "Trying to get rid of me so soon? I'm hurt!"

"You'll survive," muttered Marinette, opening the window, "Well I'm sure you have things to do, places to be."

"So cruel," Chat Noir gave the classic sad kitten eyes which Marinette had to fight not to fall for, "My dear princess is kicking me out."

Marinette smirked, "Don't be so upset, kitty. Knowing you, you'll find a way back in."

Chat Noir smirked but was soon cut off by the ringing of his baton. Taking a quick glance, his eyes widen when he saw that it was a text from Nathalie who was up in a panic over where he was as he was late for his piano lessons. "Uh, looks like I am needed elsewhere, princess. But I thank you for such a wonderful time."

Like their initial meeting, Chat Noir bent down and kissed Marinette's hand before leaping out the window and dashing across rooftops back home. Once she was sure he was out of site, Marinette slammed the window shut and plotted herself on her pink chaise. Tikki flew out of her hiding spot behind the computer and landed on her lap, "Are you okay, Marinette?"

"Yeah..." she said, cupping Tikki in her hands, "No need to worry. It's probably just my imagination." The tiny kwami looked up at her in concern but the young girl just offered a weak smile and carried her up from seat.

Was it really all in her mind? Alya, Nino, Adrien and even Chat Noir thought she was over exaggerating this. Maybe the weird feelings she was having was all in her head and Hector was a really nice guy that just wanted to get to know her. Everyone liked him and nobody had an issue with him, none that she could tell, except for her. Glancing back at her computer, she moved the mouse and had the screen pop back up, the chat box still open. Hesitantly, Marinette started typing, erasing, then typing again until she gave up and shut down the computer all together.

Even if she said it was all in her head, she still didn't feel comfortable getting near Hector. ' _What is wrong with me_?' she thought, rubbing her head, ' _Hector is a nice guy and yet I'm treating him like he's a ticking time bomb_.' Clicking on her phone, it flashed 6:46 p.m. on its screen with a background image of her and Alya at the beach in their new swimsuits. Too early for patrol and frankly, after her chat, no pun intended, with Chat Noir, she really didn't want to see him for a while. ' _Maybe I should tell him to cancel tonight's patrol. After all, it's been weeks since Hawk Moth send out another akuma_ ,' Marinette concluded and transformed into Ladybug to send the message then de-transformed before she got a reply.

After finishing up her physics and mathematics homework, a miracle in itself, Marinette started cutting out the pieces of Chat Noir's coat, using the new measurements she taken. By the time she finished the basic structure, she started to wonder if she should embroider some green paw print scratches on the corner or just leave it be. ' _Should have asked Chat if he wanted any designs or decoration_ ,' she mused before hearing her mother call her down for dinner: pot-au-feu and warm croissants.

"Marinette, who were you talking to?" asked Sabine, putting away the dishes, "I thought I heard you talking to someone a few hours ago."

Marinette froze before flashing her mother a smile, "Oh that! I was...just...talking to a customer over video chat! He wanted to commission a coat for winter and we were just discussing prices and how long it would take to finish it."

"Wonderful! You're taking you first step into making a business out of your designs," congratulated Tom, kissing his daughter on the cheek.

"Thanks dad! We'll I'm going to turn in early, see you tomorrow," stated Marinette, running up the stairs, swiping a few chocolate truffles for Tikki.

Tikki munched on her dinner as Marinette changed into her pajamas, "Alya texted you again," said the kwami, nibbling on her chocolate, "She wanted to remind you that your history teacher is assigning partners tomorrow for your end of the semester project due before winter break."

"Oh no! I totally forgot about that!" shouted Marinette, pulling at her hair, "And the pairs are chosen by the teacher, ugh! With my luck, I'll probably get paired with Chloe again."

"Cheer up, Marinette. It's not so bad," chipped Tikki, "It's only three weeks until winter break, it will go by in a flash! And maybe you'll get lucky and be paired with Adrien."

"That would be nice..." Marinette said dreamily, her imagination going wild as she pictured her and Adrien studying together, all alone in the library, her pencil falls and they both lean in to pick it up, so close together until Adrien leans in closer..."MARINETTE!"

"Eek! Tikki!" scolded Marinette at the giggling kwami.

"Sorry but your face was redder than mine," chuckled Tikki, gliding about until she flew up and landed on Marinette's cat pillow's heat, "Come on, leave that overacting imagination for your dreams. Time for bed!"

"Yeah, yeah," yawned Marinette, crawling into bed, "Goodnight."

 oOoOoOoOo

"Hey Hector, Adrien, Nino," waved Alya, then smirked at Hector, "I see you survived your 'date' with Chloe."

"Eh, I really wouldn't call it a date, more like a 'social outing,'" said Hector, smiling sheepishly.

Nino lean in towards Alya and whispered, "Translation: Chloe dragged him all throughout the mall, trying on clothing and modeling in front of him. Made him and Sabrina carrying all her bags."

Alya burst out laughing and patted the Swiss boy on the back, "You poor thing! Must have been traumatizing for you. Speaking of, where is the Queen Bee?"

"She called me this morning and said she had overslept but would come to school later," answered Adrien, looking a bit worried, "She sounded really groggy. I hope she isn't coming down with something."

The blogger rolled her eyes, Adrien was far too nice for his own good, especially to someone like Chloe. ' _I'll never understand how he was childhood friends with her_ ,' thought Alya, taking out her phone and started looking through her messages for the tenth time. Marinette had texted her early, stated that she would meet up with her in class as she had to pick up something for her parents before hand. An elbow nudged at her arm and she looked up to see Hector giving her a playful look.

"You know, there is a saying about how people are being taken over by technology," he chimed, "You wanna put that away and join us in the real world?"

"For Alya, that's impossible," joked Nino, "She's so attached to that phone she'll end up marrying it."

"And why not? Cell phones are the perfect boyfriend," Alya teased, "Portable, compact and they do what you tell them to do. And all they ask for in return is to charge them up. Care to beat that, Spielberg?"

Nino clutched at the front of his shirt in a fake-heart attack, "Oh no! Beaten by a piece of metal! How will I go on?"

"Marry your headphones?" laughed the blogger as she entered the building, the trio not to far behind. The classroom was still fairly empty, save for Ivan and Max whom were usually early to school. Alya sat at her seat, sending another text to Marinette before Hector came up to her, a faint blush on his cheek.

"Umm, have you talk to Marinette?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck, "Did you ask her about..."

Alya bit her lip, not wanting to tell Hector about Marinette's hesitation but instead said, "Marinette's folks are keeping her busy this Wednesday and Saturday so it's a no-go. Why not Sunday? Are you free that day?"

"Sure!" Hector smiled, "I actually have an extra ticket to the new exhibit at the Musee d'Orsay. Ask if she wants to come."

"I'll be sure to ask," replied Alya, waving to Hector as he walked towards his seat in the back. Her smile dropped as she quickly text Marinette. Marinette was a sweetheart but she could be so hardheaded at the worst possible time. Seriously, Alya had no clue why her friend was avoiding Hector like the plague but she had to stop. This was worst than her inability to talk to Adrien without stuttering or making a fool of herself.

Thankfully, Marinette made it to class before the teacher came in, ducking down into her seat. Alya leaned in and whispered, "Where have you been?"

"Sorry! Overslept, had to pick up a package with ingredients from an overseas store for my dad before the morning rush at the post office," gasped Marinette, trying to catch her breath. With her wind-whipped hair and her shortness of breath, it was obvious that she ran.

Before Alya could ask another question, Mme. Bustier walked in and started the lesson. Marinette sighed in relief, not wanting to be scrutinized by the blogger once she's in 'reporter mode'. She had lied about the package. In truth, Marinette, or rather Ladybug, had called the twins, Lacey and Casey, Eleanor and some of Sophia Labelle's friends and asked them if they had any photos of the 'dates' that the victims were with before they were attack. Only the twins had photos of Caitlyn's and Biddy's dates, a mixture of selfies and shots taken from a digital camera but she could tell by a glance that the men look nothing alike. One blonde, the other brunette, one was 5'7, the other 6'1, a suave James-Bond dressing guy and a classic sports shirt-and-jean combo jock. Nothing looked remotely similar about the two, until Marinette looked closer.

Upon closer observations, and a handy magnify glass, Marinette spotted something tied the two men together: a necklace. A thin, silver chain with a realistic human heart charm, black and bleeding. ' _Morbid_ ,' cringed Marinette, ' _And none of the victims ever questioned his 'taste' in necklaces? Then again, these girls value looks, status and wealth. Small things like these could be overlooked_.'

Despite the disturbing jewelry, Marinette was elated. Finally, a clue to tie the victims' dates together! If Chat Noir was right, then the necklace is probably where the akuma is hiding and what they could use to identify the perp. All she had to do was look at other photos of the Sleeping Beauties' date and see if they all had matching black, bleeding heart necklace. If they did, then the dates were definately an akuma-izied villain and Ladybug and Chat Noir would have to work fast to catch him.

' _But it's almost been two week since the last girl was found_ ,' stressed Marinette, ' _He's probably already found another girl to stalk, I just have to find her! Ugh, but Paris is huge! There are literally hundreds upon thousands of girls living in the city, not to mention tourists and out-of-towners_.'

Mme. Bustier's class went by fairly quickly, as did the rest of the morning classes until Marinette found herself at the lunch period, alone. Alya had forgotten to grab their next period history homework and wanted to swing by her house to grab it, no doubt having to eat lunch there since she lived a bit far away. Nino wanted to show Adrien the glory that was fast food and the two snuck out of school and towards a nearby Burger & Fils for, what else, burgers and fries. Everyone else had either left the school to have lunch at home or went out into the courtyard to eat their packed meals. Everyone except for her and Hector.

Hector didn't have a boxed or bagged lunch with him. In fact, all he had was his backpack filled with his notebooks, pencils and textbooks, but he made no indication of leaving. Marinette had a packed lunch with her, a croque-monsieur sandwich, slices of baguette and some dark chocolate truffles. While she didn't want to stay in a room with Hector, especially since it looked like he wasn't leaving any time soon, the wind had started pick up when the temperature had gone down. She cursed herself for wearing thin jeans and flats instead of switching them out for something warmer.

"Hey Marinette," said girl practically screamed as she never notice Hector right next to her. Heck, she didn't even hear him move from his seat! She looked up at his kind face and warm eyes, smiling ever so gentle. And yet a feeling of dread washed over her, "H-Hey Hector. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Do you mind if I sit here," he pointed at Alya's seat and she reluctantly nodded, "Thanks. I wanted to ask you if you could help me with our Literature assignment. Everyone says you're really good in that subject and I was hoping you could tutor me a bit. Literature was never an easy subject for me."

Marinette stared at him in confusion. Tutoring? This was a student with exceptional grades in all subjects, especially science and literature, and Marinette, while having an A in Mme. Bustier's class, couldn't match Hector's intelligence or wit on the works of Victor Hugo or know the intricate relations between Christine and the phantom in Gaston Leroux's _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_. So why ask her? What was he trying to do?

"Uh, are you having trouble with the lesson today?" she asked, trying to looked at anywhere but him. Gosh, this was so awkward and nerve-wrecking.

"Kinda," Hector smiled, "I couldn't keep up with it so I wanted to see if you wanted to exchange notes sometimes. Maybe..."

Marinette made an internal promise to sneak in an extra-large religieuse for Tikki when she heard her cell phone going off loudly. "Oh! Excuse me, I have to take this." She rushed out of class, leaving behind her half eaten lunch, though Marinette wasn't feeling hungry anymore.

She opened her purse a safe distance away and allowed the red-and-black-spotted kwami to poke her head out. "Thanks Tikki. I owe you one."

"I could feel you shaking from inside your bag," stated Tikki, looking up at Marinette with worried eyes, "It got worst the more that boy, Hector, talked to you. Are you sure he hasn't done anything to you?"

What could she say? Hector hasn't physically or verbally threaten her. Before today, the boy barely spoke a complete sentence towards her. It was nothing more than a feeling she had, a feeling that wasn't shared by any of her friends or classmates. Tikki was her only friend in this situation and Marinette didn't want her to think she was overacting or dismissing her feelings. "It's nothing, Tikki," finalized Marinette, checking the halls to make sure no one was around, "I better get back to class and get my stuff before the next period bell rings."

Tikki hid back into her purse as Marinette strolled out into the hall. Back in class, she was grateful to see that Hector was gone, his self and bag absent from the room. Her half eaten lunch was tossed away before the French-Asian girl grabbed her bag and ran out the room. Unfortunately for Marinette, not three steps out the door did she ran right into a student. She didn't see who is was before they both made contact and laid sprawled on the ground.

"I am so sorry..." began Marinette, but was cut off by a loud screeching voice.

"WATCH WHERE YOU GOING, YOU CLUMSY LOSER!" It was Chloe, picking herself and stomping her feet like a angry 7-year-old who didn't get an ice cream cone.

Sabrina stood a good feet away from Chloe during the crash and ran up to her 'friend' to brush off any dirt or dust that on the blonde's expensive new outfit. Chloe started verbally bashing Marinette, calling her 'clumsy', 'foolish' and a 'idiot', those being the most PC words she used. Marinette opened her mouth to try to apologize again but shut it when she took a long look at the mayor's daughter.

Chloe looked awful! Not in the fashion sense as she still wore her favorite yellow-and-white ensemble and her hair and makeup was done to a T, but that didn't hide what Marinette saw. No amount of foundation or concealer could cover up the dark bags under Chloe's eyes or the paleness of her skin. Her eyes, filled with furry, somehow lost their icy color. And even standing at full height did not hide the fact that her legs were shaking and ready to collapse at any moment."

"...DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A...! SABRINA!" shrieked Chloe, frightening the poor redhead, making herself shrink a bit, "WHERE IS MY COFFEE? WELL!?"

Marinette was shocked at that statement. Coffee? Chloe was drinking coffee? Chloe, the same girl who demeaned her assistant friend for putting too much caffeine in her _decaffeinated_ vanilla chai latte, was asking for coffee?! As to make that statement a reality, Sabrina handed over a paper cup with, what Marinette believed to be, pure, black coffee which Chloe downed in an instant. The blonde let out a disgusted groan before stomping towards their next class, her frighten friend staying a foot behind for safety.

After taking a few seconds to register the impossibility of what just happen, Marinette felt a panic settle in her stomach. Chloe was tired and pale, like the Sleeing Beauties victims! Just days before their attack, each victim felt more and more tired with each passing date they had. She remember the twins stating that their roommates were groggy and sleepy but dismissed it due to the victims' partying lifestyle, same with Patricia. She'd also contacted some of Nancy Charter's and Jennifer Talbott's friend whom all confirmed that they were fatigue and pale during the days before their attack. An incubus steals people's life-force, making them tired and weak, maybe cranky in some people's cases.

Did this mean that Chloe was dating the Parisian Incubus? But it was strange, Chloe always bragged that she and Adrien would end up together and would fight any girl that said otherwise. ' _But if Chloe was dating anyone why wouldn't she tell everyone about it_ ,' thought Marinette, ' _Then again I'm talking about a girl that strings along two guys and constantly bashes other girls to stay away from them. She probably kept this guy as a secret so she could still hang out with Adrien and Hector while keeping her 'image' intact_.'

As much as it pained Marinette to do, Ladybug would have to make a visit to the Grand Paris Hotel and talk to Chloe. If Chloe wasn't dating the Parisian Incubus, then he would have to be in close proximity to her in order for him to drain her energy. Before she could continue that train of thought, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the start of next period. Marinette scooped up her fallen belongs, shoved them in her bag and raced towards her history class, pulling out her phone to text Alya to meet her there.

' _I just hope I can find this guy before he can do any more harm or drain another girl_ ,' thought Marinette, ' _Even if that girl is Chloe_.'

 oOoOoOoOoOo

_Watching her run out of the room was so amusing, cute too. He could tell how frighten she was of him. Pass that sweet smile and calm posture, he could see the fear and trepidation swimming in her beautiful blue eyes. Most people would get tired of playing cat-and-mouse with their victims after a while, he relished in it. He found it so cute to back her up into a corner, making her shake like a rabbit trying to stare down a wolf. Marinette could sense it, she could sense how inhuman he was and she couldn't do anything about it._

_Marinette was in his world now. He used his charm and intelligence to take over the school: the staff, the students, they all adored him. Teachers would gush about how he was their best student, boys would ask him to play for their teams and girls would swoon at his very presence. Her treasured friends, Alya, Nino and Adrien were under his thumb now, pushing her towards him. She knew that she was trapped, she wouldn't dare speak against him for fear of looking crazy, for the backlash of other students that worshiped him and become abandon by those she loved and cared for._

_'You wouldn't want to be alone, Marinette,' he thought, picking up his stuff and walking about the door, looking left and right into the empty hall, 'That's your greatest fear isn't it? To be alone. To let others down. To have the people you care about walk away from you, looking at you differently.'_

_It would be so easy from here on out. With everyone thinking so highly of him, Marinette would start doubting her intuition, she's probably doing that now. Thinking she's crazy or weird, looking for her friends for guidance and they would point her towards me. Marinette will break, people could only hold on for so long before they lose their grip. And when she did, he would strike. That meeting at the bakery still left an impression on him, left him craving for her life-force. Had it not be for Chloe clinging onto him, voluntarily giving him access to her bittersweet energy, he would have pounced on Marinette the moment she was alone._

_But now, Chloe would no longer be an issue. He drained about half of her energy and she would be too cranky and tired to try any more of those ridiculous flirtatious advances towards him, leaving him free to pursue Marinette. The ringing bell snapped him out of his daydream. He turned towards his next class and his next phase of his plan: history class._

_'I do hope you like surprises, Marinette," smiled Hector, sliding into his seat as he walked the other students enter the room, 'Because after this class, you and I will be spending quite a lot of time together.'_

_"The Miraculous! Bring me the Miraculous!" hissed the Voice, "Do not waste my time or your powers!"_

_'Patience, my friend,' he thoughts a mere whisper, 'Patience.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Ch.6 is done! And thankfully not as long as the last chapter. A bit over 7,000 words, not bad. Anyway, sorry for the delay with chapters. It's the winter holidays and I'm busy with spending time with my family and friends while I'm home. I hope all of you have wonderful holidays and I'll hear from you tomorrow with a brand new chapter. HAPPY HOLIDAYS XD


	7. Succumb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late with posting it ^^;. I'm usually post chapters faster on FF.  
> Anyway, Merry Christmas Eve! Here to a festive holiday. Also, happy holidays to those who celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa or any other winter holidays that I'm clueless about. Again, chapter not beta-read. Anyway, on with the show:

"Well students, I've graded your assignments and I'm please to say that you're all doing well," stated M. Lavigne, passing out said graded assignments back to their owners, "The lowest score was a B- so I'm sure everyone here has an above average knowledge about the Paris Commune of 1871."

Marinette was content to recieve her paper back with a red A circled at the top. When Tikki had told her that she had lived through thousands of global historical events, including the Paris Commune, she thought the young kwami was kidding until she began rattling off major details, dates and key players and what they did that Marinette started taking notes. This was doubly good news as now her grade in class, that had dropped to a C, was now bumped back up to a B. Alya smiled and flashed her own paper, also a red A circled on top.

"Now that all the assignments are back with their owners, it's now time for our end of the semester project," M. Lavigne concluded, earning the groans of more than half the class. The history teacher chuckled, "Yes, yes, I can feel the excitement in your enthusiastic groans. But don't worry, this is more art history than historical events."

The project was fairly simple: choice a piece of art work that was created during the 19th Century, explain its cultural significance to the era and how it was received by the public during its unveiling. Pulling out a piece of paper, M. Lavigne started calling out the groups: "Remember, you can not ask for a different partner. Nino and Rose, Sabrina and Chloe, Nathanaël and Juleka, Max and..."

Marinette tuned out her teacher's voice and glanced at Chloe who was downing her third cup of coffee, still looking hagard and pissed with each passing second. Sabrina had scooted her seat a few inches away from the growling blonde, pouring another cup of coffee from a thermos and passing it to Chloe. She could feel the irritation and fatigue coming off the girl in waves, making some of the students close to her back away a bit. Color was slowly returning to her face, though Marinette wasn't sure if it was because Chloe was gaining her strength or due to the heat of the coffee.

"...Adrien and Alya, and finally Hector is with Marinette. I suggest you and your partner exchange emails or phone numbers and set up a date to which you two can work."

Cold tremors ran up her spine as Marinette heard her name being paired up with Hector for the assignment. Said boy was getting up from his seat, along with everyone else and heading towards their respected partner, save for Chloe and Sabrina. Alya patted the girl on the back, "Sorry about this. If you want, me, you, Adrien and Hector can group together to do our projects."

Before she could say anything, Alya walked over to Adrien to talk to him about the double team thing while Hector came up behind her, nearly scaring the poor girl to death. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to scare you," said Hector, waving his heads in defense, "So I guess you and I are partners."

"Yeah," replied Marinette, trying to sound enthusiastic about it, trying to shove that screaming voice away from her thoughts. ' _It's all in your head. It's all in your head. There is nothing wrong with Hector. It's all in your head_ ,' she chanted in her mind, but each time she did she felt her heart rate go up.

"Here's my number if you need to contact me," he pulled out his phone's contact and showed her the number, "Do you mind putting your number in here too? I text more then send email."

' _Yes, I DO mind_ ,' she screamed in her head, but shook it off and copy down his number before putting her own in.

Hector smiled and started talking about their project and where they should meet up. "I was thinking we could meet up at your family's bakery and start going through online art database or go to the library if you prefer."

"Great idea!" chimed Alya, popping up next to Marinette, the girl almost suffering a heart attack from her second scare in the pass ten minutes, "Adrien and I will join you. Right Adrien?"

The blonde model nodded, his golden hair bouncing and eyes shining made Marinette forget the creeping sensation for those few seconds. "Sure, I would love to try another piece of Marinette's clafoutis."

' _He remembers_!' Marinette wanted to self-combust in sheer happiness, giving off a wide smile and nodded. Aya rolled her eyes and quickly pulled the grinning girl off to the side, excuse themselves from the boys.

"Well," began Alya, putting her hands on her hips, "Guess you can't avoid not hanging out with Hector now, huh?"

"No, guess I can't," Marinette let out a nervous laugh, twisting the straps of her bag, "Have you decided what art piece you and Adrien are going to use?"

"Nope, I want to use one Eugene Delacroix's painting like _Liberty Leading the People_ but model boy is more towards something by Paul Delaroche," complained Alya.

While Alya went on about how Delacroix would be a much better and easier subject to do, Marinette shifted her eyes towards Chloe who's head was swaying back and forth, as if she was trying hard not to fall asleep. Sabrina was next to her, putting away Chloe's stuff in her bag while simultaneously pouring her friend another cup of coffee. What's more shocking is that when Adrien walked up to her to ask if she's alright, Chloe didn't response! She just grunted before sliding her head on the desk and fell asleep.

"...and then I jumped into the lava-filled lake, save the three headed puppies and was crowned Miss France two days later. Earth to Marinette!" Alya snapped her fingers in front of her. Marinette let out a tiny squeak before turning to Alya, "Sorry! You were saying?"

"I know it's a challenge to look away from Adrien, but do you think you can do it for the next few minutes?" teased Alya, "Come on, Marinette. If we're going to do this study group, I've got to know that you won't be staring at Adrien the entire time and ignoring Hector."

Marinette glanced up towards the two boys and saw them animatedly talking to Rose, Nino and Juleka, the female students laughing at what she guessed was a joke Hector made. Rose blush when Hector whispered something to her, making her giggle and reply with: "Thank you, that's so sweet."

Rose was definitely comfortable around Hector, Juleka too as she asked to see the custom Celtic knot ring his had on his hand. This just made Marinette even more aliened from her peers. Why was she the only one uncomfortable around Hector?! The question drove her mad and it wasn't helping when Alya kept telling her to hang out with him. And now she was paired with him for a three week project.

' _Maybe this is a good thing_ ,' she tried to ration, ' _Maybe with the time we'll be spending together I can finally get used to him and all those creepy sensations will go away! No one else feels weird about him, so it's just in my head, right_?'

"So...we'll meet up the bakery?" asked Marinette. Aya agreed to the plan and went to tell Hector and Adrien. Marinette took in a deep breath and let it out. 'It's going to be fine. It's all in my head.'

 oOoOoOoOoOo

"So what do you think, Marinette. Painting or statue?" asked Hector, opening a art book with images of 19th Century artworks.

Marinette pried her eyes away from Adrien and glanced at the book in front of her. Several images of bronze and marble statues were all over the pages, along with a few oil paintings here and there. "Oh, uh, I don't know. I think maybe a statue? There are so many paintings during this period and over ten movements happen during that era, most of them were painting centered so maybe something less...common."

"You really know your art history," Hector complemented, "Are you going to major in art in college?"

Marinette shook her head, "No, I'm more of a fashion design major. I design and sew my own clothing and accessories."

"That's amazing," he replied, "Did you learn it from a class or are you self-taught?"

"I taught myself, my parents had me take some classes to help sharpen my skills," she answered, fidgeting with a loose thread on the bottom of her jacket.

Hector continued to make conversation with Marinette over her skills in fashion while Adrien and Alya were still arguing over which art piece they were going to present. "I'm telling you that any of Delacroix's work would be a perfect subject for our paper. The guy made over 300 paintings, there's not exactly a shortage of works we can choice from!"

"But Delacroix is one of France's most popular and celebrated artist, there will be dozen of kids that have already picked him," stated Adrien, "Paul Delaroche did a bunch of historical paintings of France's most famed people like Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth I and _The Hemicycle_ mural that was inspired by Raphael's The School of Athens."

Marinette chuckled at Alya's furious attempt to choose Delacroix for their project, occasionally grabbing at some of the chocolate-dipped madeleine Mrs. Dupin-Cheng brought out for them. The small group were seated in Marinette's living room on the sofa as the bakery was too cramped to study in while the after school rush of customers started bursting through the door. The baker's daughter can't help but feel a little embarrassed about having two guys in her very pink-shaded living room. Though they didn't seem to mind much, at least she hoped they didn't.

Adrien was actually having a great time being in the Dupain-Cheng's home. The entire place radiated warmth and love, nothing like his family's mansion, too big and too cold for anyone to comfortably live in. Smells from the bakery downstairs permeated the air around them, the aroma of freshly baked bread and vanilla invaded his senses. Large windows let in rays of sunlight into the living room while the oriental painting and decor gave the place a more exotic flair. It was funny to see how much of Marinette's love of fashion, designing and sewing had taken over the home. When Marinette went downstairs to get some treats for the group, Alya mentioned that the pillows on the couch and curtains on the window were made by the French-Asian girl during a sewing frenzy she was having at the time.

Everything about Marinette's life just screamed loving and happy family, so much so that Adrien couldn't help but feel envious of. Just once he would like his own father to show 1/4 of the amount of affection that Tom Dupain shown for his daughter. The man simply adored Marinette, he could tell the first time he met the man, how he would enwrap his daughter in a bear hug, ruffling her hair and letting her off with a plate of goodies he just made. His envy and yearning grew the more he stayed in this house, but he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay here, stay in a room where he can feel the warmth that Marinette experience everyday of her life. Why would he choose to leave such a cozy home for an ice-castle of a house?

"How about we each find an art piece that we like and we'll trade thoughts on it tomorrow," suggested Hector, collecting this things.

Marinette nodded as she started collecting the leftover plates. Outside, the sky grew dark and, from the clock hanging in the kitchen, it was already a quarter passed six. Adrien and Alya, still at odds with their subject matter, started packing their things as well. "Well discuss this later," promised Alya as she slung her pack over her shoulder.

The blonde rolled his eyes at that as Marinette help escort the trio of student downstairs. Tom walked out of the backroom carrying a tray of little puff balls of dough. "You kids finished with your project?" he asked, setting the treats on the counter.

"We haven't even picked a subject," grumbled Alya, before glancing at the baked goods, "What are those?"

"Gougères! Baked choux pastry with cheese inside," smiled Tom, "The cheeses I used is a combination of comté and camembert. Would you kids like to take a few and tell me what you think?"

Adrien put a hand over his jacket pocket in order to muffle Plagg's excited cheers, "Uh, can I take a dozen to go? I'm need to get home for my Chinese lesson."

"Oh! You're learning Chinese?" asked Tom, packing a dozen of the gougères in a decorated take out bag, "Why don't you asked Marinette to help you? She's fluent in Chinese due to her mother teaching her at a young age."

"Dad!" shushed Marinette, her cheeks turning red as she tried to hid her face beneath her wool jacket's up collar.

Adrien smiled and thanked Tom for the treats, trying to pay him but was told it was on the house for Marinette's friends. Hector patted Marinette on the shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah...I see you," muttered Marinette as she watched him exited out the bakery.

"Sweetie, are you alright," asked Tom, his smiling face dropped into a worried looked, "You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine, I'm fine..." breathed Marinette, rubbing her temple. Her previous shakes and shivers around Hector were switched for headaches and drowsiness. She dragged her body upstairs, trying to sooth her fourth headache in the past two hours. "I'm...just gonna go finish my homework in my room."

"But what about dinner? Your mom is bringing takeout tonight," shouted Tom up the stairs.

Marinette groaned, her dad's voice was ringing in her ears, "Just put a bowl away for me. I'll eat it later."

By the time she reached her room, her headache went away and she started to think clearly again. Tikki popped out of her bag sat next to her on the chaise lounge. "Marinette, are you really okay. Your father is right, you do look a little pale."

"It's fine, Tikki. I think I might just have a headache," reasoned Marinette, laying back onto the chaise, "Maybe a little nap will help me..." Her sentence trailed off as she feel asleep, a light snore escaping her mouth.

 oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chat Noir stared at his baton in frustration. Ladybug was not answering his calls. According to the screen, Ladybug wasn't transformed yet and thus couldn't answer. ' _But wouldn't her kwami say something about my call_?' he thought, leaning against the concrete walls of Notre Dame, ' _Unless her kwami is just as annoying and aggravating as Plagg_...'

' _I resent that_!' yelled Plagg in his head. Chat Noir hissed in pain as the tiny kwami's voice was amplified while transformed, so his yell was akin to that of a megaphone next to his ear.

After the ringing stopped, Chat Noir tried calling again to no avail. He sighed and raced off into the night. If Ladybug wasn't going to join him, then he'll go solo this time. Another of the Sleeping Beauties's family just called, a Mrs. Joan Andersen, mother of the eleventh victim Aly Andersen, knew about his and Ladybug's involvement and asked for a interview with them. Before they got into the case, Mrs. Andersen was very uncooperative with law enforcement as her daughter's background wasn't, for lack of a better term, 'proper' and she didn't want the media spreading false information.

The Andersen lives in a rustic-looking flat on the third floor in the Latin Quarter. Not rundown or fancy, but very modest. Entering the building was fairly simple, no doorman and she had buzzed him in when he answered. When he reached her door, he could hear the faint cries of a baby through the wood as he knocked. Mrs. Andersen looked like every other soccer mom with her blonde hair in a high ponytail, jeans-sweater combo and tan skin from long periods in the sun. In her arms was a baby, no older than one, maybe two, years old.

"Chat Noir! So glad you're here, please come in," Mrs. Andersen stepped aside and noticed someone missing, "Is Ladybug here?"

"Sorry no, she's out interview one of the other victim's mother," lied Chat Noir, taking in the cozy little home.

"Oh...so she's interviewing the Lombardis or the Talbotts," Chat notice Mrs. Andersen looking a bit peeved at the family names she mentioned.

"Actually she's talking with Mrs. Charter, Nancy Charter's mother," Chat lied again.

"Ah, she's talking to Linda," Mrs. Andersen's face became more gentle, "You know, Linda's daughter, Nancy, and my Aly attended the same lyée. Though Nancy is a year older than Aly, I often talked to Linda during PTA meetings and at school bake sales. She is such a nice woman...understood what I was going through..."

Mrs. Andersen looked pretty faint so Chat Noir quickly led her to a nearby couch. He wasn't sure how to go about interviewing her. Ladybug usually was the one that did all the talking and when it came to interviewing it was usually _Adrien_ who was being interviewed. "So...umm...how was Aly like?"

"Aly was...is a difficult child. My husband and I did are best to raise her well, up until she went to lyée, she was a good girl," began Mrs. Andersen, rocking the baby in her arms, "But when she entered the lyée, she changed. Going out late, sneaking in boys, she got arrested for drinking, I thought she was going through a phrase of rebellion. It got worse a few years back when she started hanging around older boys and she...I don't want the press finding out."

"Mrs. Andersen, I'm not with the press," console Chat Noir, "Nothing you tell me will leave this room."

"You don't understand, the media is vicious," she hissed, clutching the baby tighter, "They'll dig and dig and dig until they can find the dirt they want and they'll plasted is out for the world to see and have everyone judge you for your past mistakes."

"And what mistakes did Aly make that you didn't want getting out," asked Chat.

The woman said nothing and looked down at the baby, gurgling and making tiny noises. "I shouldn't have said mistake," she whispered, stroking the baby's face, "You're not a mistake."

Chat Noir understood the situation and decided to go to the next question. "All the victims had dates before they were sent to the hospitals. Aly had one too right? How long was she dating this boy?"

"About a week," she muttered, cooing at the baby, "He was very handsome and charming. And I stupidly thought that this was the boy that would set my daughter straight. Instead he put her in the coma-ward."

"Was she acting strange before the incident?" He recalled the list Ladybug sent him of similar symptoms the victims shared before slipping into a coma. Let's see if Aly was the same.

"She didn't act any different then before, except that she was really tired and pale for a while. I though she may of gotten an infection or gotten sick but the doctors said that it's just fatigue," answered Mrs. Andersen, "I should have made her stay home and sent that boy away but he acted so sweet and he seemed so concerned about her...!"

"Calm down, Mrs. Andersen, you couldn't have known," Chat Noir checked off several boxes in his head. Aly suffered the same symptoms as the other. He glanced around the room and saw the many family photos hanging on the walls. "Mrs. Andersen, where is your husband."

"Police station, trying to get those people to work harder on my daughter's case instead of focusing on the Bissets and the Labelle and the other families that are bribing them!" she hissed.

Chat Noir asked a few more questions, questions he remembered Ladybug asking other families about before bidding the woman goodbye. ' _So when the Incubus starts dating them, they become tired and hagard from the energy he steals_ ,' Chat Noir concluded as he jumped across the rooftops. ' _Makes sense. You don't have the energy, you get tired_.'

Halfway through his track, he found himself in a familiar side of town, the one near his school and the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Being as sneaky as his namesake, Chat peaked in through the living room window to see Tom and Sabine eating from a takeout box, talking and laughing with one another. But no Marinette in sight. Climbing up to said girl's window, he saw the blunette sprawled on her chaise, sleeping away without a care.

' _She looks cute when she sleeps_ ,' he though, careful not to make a sound as he left the building and made it home in record time. He tried to call Ladybug for the last time but, again, the call couldn't get through. Instead he left a message about the interview and changed back into Adrien Agreste.

"Ugh, that was boring," complained Plagg, swooping down towards his leftover cheese, noisily munching on the foul-smelling pieces of dairy.

Adrien plotted himself on his computer chair and started working on his part of the project. Even if he and Alya couldn't agree on a artist, that didn't mean he could do his own research or look for other alternatives. However, mid-way through his work, he got a phone call. According to the caller ID, it was Chloe. "Hey Chloe, are you feeling better?" He asked.

"Oh Adrikins, it is so awful!" cried Chloe from the other end, "I feel like I'm going to die! Daddy had to call over three doctors to check me! He even said he was going to cancel my ticket to our cruise! I had to beg him not to! Can you image how horrible it would have been if they broke our trip together?!"

"Yeah...that would be a tragedy," he replied sarcastically, though Chloe didn't seem to notice and continue ranting on how 'awful' the doctors treated her by giving her pills or homemade remedies. "What happen Chloe? Did you stay up late or catch a cold?"

"No, never!" Chloe started bawling into the phone before reverting back to her normal tone, "All I did was go on my normal 5-hour shopping spree with Sabrina and Hector after school, ate dinner at that new nouvelle cuisine restaurant in the 7th arrondissement, gave Sabrina my homework while I entertained Hector with my father's new indoor theater, send them home while the maids prepared my bath with my favorite essential oils, watch of my favorite soap operas and then went to bed."

Chloe then tried to say that it was probably something she ate at the restaurant or the maid who drew her bath put something in her water or other ridiculous scenarios that were just as unbelievable as the ones she had Sabrina say after last week's photo shoot. Adrien listened to it all with impeccable patient he had after years of dealing with demanding photographers. "Okay, I understand Chloe. I just hope you'll feel better soon."

"I better! Tomorrow is Armistice day which means no school and I don't want to spend a holiday in bed!" whined Chloe, "Luckly, Sabrina has my project under control so I don't have to worry about that. Anyway, I have to go. Daddy says that too much phone use might 'hinder' my healing process. Tsk, yeah right. Anyway, night Adrikins! I'll talk to you later!"

After hanging up, Adrien began to think back on how ill Chloe looked. Pale, bags under the eyes, and a slumped posture. She was angrier than normal as well, lashing out at whoever annoyed her and she was drinking coffee, a drink she would never touch for fear it would stain her teeth! She was also tired as he saw her falling asleep a few times on her desk. It was weird and he hoped she was okay. He couldn't help but think back to the Sleeping Beauties and how they were all tired while dating the Incubus.

Adrien shook his head, ' _Those girls were dating the Parisian Incubus and had their energy drained. Chloe isn't seeing anyone, let alone the Incubus, it's probably just a flu going around_.' Satisfy with that conclusion, he turned his attention back to his computer.

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Marinette nearly had a panic attack when she woke up at 4:30am the next day! She fell out of her chaise and started struggling to change clothes before Tikki stopped her halfway through pulling up her shirt. "Calm down, Marinette! Don't you remember? It's Armistice Day, no school!"

At that news, Marinette relax. Wide awake and not wanting to go back to sleep, the bluenette quietly showered and dressed in her favorite pink polka-dotted coat, jeans and boots and headed out. The sun started to peak over the building and the breeze started to pick up. Tikki hid in the collar of Marinette's coat, wearing her own, hand-knit kwami-size sweater. "Where are we going, Marinette?" she asked.

"Nowhere, Tikki," she replied, "Just want to stretch my legs for a bit. Can't believe I slept that long."

"You were really tired," her kwami stated, "But at least you're all better now, right?"

She let out a small laugh, "Yeah, I'm fine. My heads cleared up and I just want to enjoy the morning."

Walking passed a newsagent's shop, Marinette watched the shop clerk restock the newspaper and magazines. Plaster on the front of L'Opinion, Le Monde, and Le Point were articles about the Sleeping Beauties case. "13 Sleeping Beauties, Will There Be More?", "Sleeping Beauties Case Grows Cold," and "Twisted Fairy Tales Come To Life: The Sleeping Beauties and The Parisian Incubus" were the titles on them. She picked up one of the paper and started skimming through the articles.

Marinette felt herself grow angry at the writings, it was nothing but a slander against the police and how they weren't doing anything to move the case along. The author also shamed the victims, highlighting some of the girls' less savory activities. The clerk saw what she was reading and clicked his tongue, "Don't read that garbage, sweetie. That journalist is know for bashing on the police and victims. Those poor girls are laying in a coma, the police are scrambling to find out what's happening that that joker is doing nothing but shifting public opinion against them."

"Do you think the police will find the perpetrator?" she asked, putting the newspaper back.

"I hope they do," he replied, straightening the candy display, "Whether it's the police or Ladybug and Chat Noir, I just want this guy caught. The last girl was around my daughter's age. I don't want that sicko running around attacking young women."

"...I'm sure they'll find him," Marinette responded. She bid the man a good day and continued on her walk.

Before long, Marinette found herself in the center of Champ de Mars, the Eiffel Tower washed in shades of yellow, orange and blue from the sunrise. The park was vacant, save for a few dog walkers and early joggers, so she sat on the soft grass, taking in the setting and silence. With the case on a stand still for the police, she knew it was only a matter of time before the media turned to her and Chat for answers, increasing the pressure for them to solve it.

Marinette was used to working under a time-limit and high pressure type of situations, but this was a new type of pressure. One where the lives of multiple people were on the line and they were up against a villain possessed by a akuma that could change his appearance at will. This wasn't like Stormy Weather, Lady Wifi or Monsieur Mime that only attacked one person or centered their attack on a certain type or group of people. No, this villain was much more clever and devious. Spending time with his victims, gaining their trust, the trust of their friends and families, seducing them and feeding off their energy.

And he attack indiscriminately. Age or appearance didn't bother him, it was personality based so he had to be around them to know how they acted. All these thoughts swirled in Marinette's head, forming another headache and causing her to bury her head in her hands to stop the pulsing throb in her temple. With her headache growing, she didn't pick up the crushing leaves behind her or the heavy-set footsteps coming towards her.

A low chuckle snapped her out of her thoughts, "Fancy seeing you here, Miss Marinette. Early morning walk?"

The French-Asian girl jumped a bit and turned her head back. Hector loomed over her, dressed in thick black jeans, tan wool jacket and matching workman's boots, a smile on his face as he stared down at her. Again, a shiver crawled down Marinette's shine, though she wasn't sure if it was from being around Hector or the wind picking up. "Hey Hector," greeted Marinette, "I didn't know you were up this early."

"Routine," he answered, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "My folks are strict with me being early to school to avoid any tardy demerits. So they would always have me wake up before sunrise. Now my brain does it automatically."

"That's rough," she commented. She wasn't sure what to do in this situtation. Should she stand up to talk to him? Walk with him? Ask him to leave? Ignore him? No, that last part would be rude. Marinette wasn't completely comfortable around him and her headache was still pounding in her head. "Umm, so what are you doing here?"

"Going for a walk, trying to clear my head," he answered, before pointing to the spot next to her, "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Umm, sure," she answered. Hector sat down Indian-style next to Marinette. He started rummaging through his pocket before pulling out a bag of BonBon brand candies, one bag of strawberry-flavor, the other blue raspberry. He held out the strawberry one towards her.

"Do you want one?" be offered, opening the bags, "They're really good and I've become pretty addicted to it."

Marinette nodded and plucked a candy from the bag and popped it in her mouth. Since she skipped breakfast before going out for her walk, her stomach began growling, thankfully not loud enough for Hector to hear thankfully. "So...how do you like Paris?" she asked, trying to make small talk with him. After all, she did promise Alya she would hang out with him. This counts as hanging out, right?

"It's great! here are so many places to see, things to do, I've really fallen in love with the city," he gushed, "There are so many places, restaurants, people and events, I'd have to live here for several months to fully experience life in Paris. You're so lucky to live in such an amazing and pretty safe place."

"Heh, guess you haven't been around an akuma-attack," she muttered under her breath, but perked up and said, "Yeah, Paris is beautiful city and I wouldn't imagine living anywhere else."

Hector nodded, agreeing with her, "The best part about being in a new place is that I don't have to wear a mask all the time."

She stopped mid-way from popping another candy in her mouth, "What do you mean?"

"Well...you know how some people say they have dual personas. You know, the personality and mannerism they show in public and the personality they secretly have or wish they can show?" he stated, "When I'm back in Switzerland with my classmates and my parents, I have to act the way everyone expects me to be: the perfect son with the great personality, manners and just everything they expect me to be. You know, kinda like a trophy."

"But when I'm here," Hector gestures to all of Paris, "I don't have to constantly worry about my parents looking over my shoulder about how I act. I can be myself for a while and don't have the pressure of my family name holding me back."

"Sounds like you're treated more as a show dog than a person," commented Marinette, "But you must have friends that know who you really are?"

"That's the thing: not even my classmates know what I'm really like, the things I like to do, my opinions, nothing like that," Hector looked downtrodden at this point, "Before I attended Le Rosey, everyone knew about my family. Our wealth, influence and power, everyone immediately expected either this snobby, spoiled rich kid or this perfect, charming, future-CEO son that everyone adored. I became the latter. I wanted friends so badly but my parents told me that I had an image and that I shouldn't shame the family. And now that everyone thinks of me like that, I don't want to destroy their outlook on me."

Marinette frowned, "Why? Why put up a mask to make your parents happy and to trick others?"

"Isn't better to be something amazing than something so ordinary and boring?" he questioned, he turned to face her, "My parents, classmates, teachers, everyone expect me, the son of two upper-class socialites, to follow in their footsteps. Be the perfect son, be intelligent, charming, interesting, all those things. And what would happen if they hated the real me or thought I was just a let-down of a son? Why would anyone settle for someone who is just so dorky or boring or lame or just plain normal when they can get someone who is so incredible and extraordinary? If it was between me and someone like Superman, people will always choose the better, more exciting version. Beside, wouldn't it be such a disappointment to know that the person you built up to be so marvelous and exciting turned out to be someone so boring and weak, a completely opposite?"

"Disappointment..." Squeaked Marinette, her appetite gone and replace with a bitter feeling in her heart.

"Yeah, you put these amazing people on a pedestal like celebrities, athletes and heroes and everyone just thinks they are the absolute best and then they become so disenchanted when these people make mistakes or turn out to be something else," Hector explain, finishing off his bag of BonBon, "Like Clark Kent and Superman, no one ever suspect such a dull, mild manner person to be a superhero and when it is revealed, the illusion of Superman kinda dies with it for some people because they expect he to be just as incredible in his civilian life as he is as Superman."

' _Like if people find out I'm Ladybug_ ,' thought Marinette, her heart growing heavier by the minute, ' _Why have boring, plain Marinette when they could get marvelous and incredible Ladybug, a superheroes girls look up to and is adored by many boys. Why wouldn't they choose Ladybug over Marinette? And wouldn't they be disappointed to find out Ladybug had been this shy, weak and stuttering young girl_?'

"Sorry, this is probably seems like such a depressing topic but I just need to get it off my chest," Hector replied, "I don't want people to be so dishearten when they see the real me and know I'm not this perfect guy that has the perfect life. And you're such a sweet girl, Marinette. So open and honest, you'd probably never lie to anyone or keep secrets from the people you care about. That's what makes you so incredible, you don't hid anything."

Marinette felt herself becoming smaller the more Hector continued to talk. Guilt was building up inside of her rapidly, the memories of all the times she had to lie, sneak, and fail to help her friends due to her alter-ego came back to haunt her. There was one time where Alya and her were partners for a project and the blogger had to do everything herself because of an akuma infestation that week. Another was failing to deliver a package on time for her parents because a theater-themed akuma had destroyed half the city. The worst having Chloe save last year's spring dance because Marinette failed to get everything in order due twin-akuma villains tearing up her neighbors. Trying to balance her civilian life and her superhero duties were getting harder and harder as time passes.

She was suppose to be the class president, her parents' daughter, the selfless one, the girl that tries to help everyone, and yet she felt as if she was failing at every turn! Ladybug had everyone's admiration, they turned to her for safety and protection, she couldn't fail them. Hector turned to her and smile, patting her hand. "You're a wonderful person, Marinette. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's fine if you make mistakes, you're only human."

' _But I can't make mistakes_!' she screamed in her head, ' _I can't afford to make mistakes as Ladybug_!' Marinette can make mistakes, Marinette's life can take a turn for the worst, but Ladybug can't. She's Paris's savior, their hero, everyone is relying on her to stop the bad guy, fix the city and be there when trouble arises. If Ladybug starts making mistakes, will the citizens of Paris lose faith in her? Will they start to question whether she can handle the job? Marinette felt herself getting sick, she should have stayed in bed.

Hector looked down nervously and tapped her on her shoulder, "Look, Marinette. I know you probably don't like me and I probably make you uncomfortable."

"W-what?!" gasped Marinette, "That's not..."

"Please don't start lying now. I've seen the way you've been avoiding me," he looked so sadden by the fact that Marinette's guilt started to pile on, "But I want to show you that I'm not a bad person. Here!" He reached into his other pocket and pulled out two, bright yellow tickets. "These are for the exhibition at Musée d'Orsay this Sunday. I was originally supposed to go with my dad but he canceled on me, so I have an extra ticket. Marinette, would you like to go with me to the exhibit. Just as friends."

Marinette was conflicted. On one hand, she didn't really want to spend a Sunday with Hector, even after they talked, her headache got worse and the chills down her back were still there. But on the other hand, Hector had notice her attempts to avoid him, his sadden face added to her guilt along with his talk about dual lives. Plus Alya's, Nino's and Adrien's insistency on her hanging out with him. She had already messed up enough as Marinette, why disappoint more people?

"O-okay. Sounds nice," she reached out and took one of the tickets, "What time should we meet up?"

"Noon would be great," he chirped, a smile across his face, "I promise you'll have a great time! Thanks Marinette."

He got up and hugged her tightly, the shiver got worse the second his cheek touched her's. Hector waved her goodbye as he walked away towards the west exit. Marinette waited until he was out of sight before she looked down at the ticket. The bright yellow paper with black lettering seemed to glared back her. Tikki poked her head out of her collar and looked down at the ticket as well.

"Marinette are you sure that you're okay?" asked Tikki, "You don't seem like you want to go."

"No, no, it's fine..." she muttered, pocketing the ticket, "I've kinda owe him since I've been avoiding him for no reason."

"But Marinette..." Tikki began but was hushed by Marinette's voice. "It will be fine Tikki. If anything goes wrong, I'll make an excuse and leave. Beside, we'll be at a museum, public place. Nothing bad will happen."

Tikki didn't look happy with the answer but didn't push the subject further, "Okay Marinette. I trust you."

"Great now..." said Marinette, getting up from the grass, "Let's go home, I don't feel so good anymore."

 oOoOoOoOo

_His patience had paid off and her fate was sealed the moment she took his ticket. There was no turning back for her. His words shook her, filled her with guilt, embarrassment and sadness. He learned long ago that people hid their other selves inside, afraid of what others, the public, might think of them. Marinette was no exception. Whatever secrets she had, he didn't know, but he didn't have to in order to manipulate her. Guilt is a powerful motivator and people like Marinette were vulnerable to its effects._

_In just a few days, he and Marinette will be alone. Public places meant nothing, he could drain her in a room filled with people and no one would notice. He wouldn't drain her completely, no that would cause suspicion and he didn't want his little rendezvous with Marinette to end so soon. What fun would that be? No, he would hold out a little longer, another week or two. Maybe until winter break started, who knows? Marinette was just too sweet to drain too fast, she needed to be savored._

_'That reminds me, I have to thank Alya, Nino and Adrien for their help,'' he though cynically, 'Maybe I'll sent them a card after I'm finished with Marinette.'_

_It pained him to put such a sweet girl, someone full of love and innocence, in a hospital bed next to all those unworthy whores, but hey, life is unfair. Maybe after he gets the Voice his precious Miraculous and he has his side of the deal fulfill, he could ask the Voice to awaken Marinette. The others, who cares? But Marinette, he had to spare her a lifetime in a dreamless sleep. But for now, she was his target and he was slowly cornering her, wrapping her up in his web. Tighter and tighter until she couldn't get away._

_The sun finally settled into the sky, illuminating the beautiful blue day. He felt so lighthearted, giddy even. Phase 3 of his plan had gone without a hitch. He wanted to reward himself. Diving into a nearby cafe, he took a seat near the back and started looking through the menu. An attractive waitress about 20-some years old came strutting towards, her uniform noticeably more shorter than the other girls and she had that familiar glint in her eyes, one he knew far too well._

_"Hey there, good-lookin'," he could tell from her accent that she was foreign, American probably, "See anything you like on the menu? Off the menu?" That last part was said in a very suggestive tone._

_"Yes, actually," he said smoothly, "I'd like hot chocolate with a warm croissant. And maybe some company afterwards. When do you get off?"_

_She laughed, "I can get off now if I want to. My idiot boss won't even notice. I'll be back with your food and we can book it. My friend works in a hotel nearby, if you know what I mean." She walked towards the counter and started barking his order to-go. He couldn't help but laugh._

_Yes, today was a good day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter tomorrow! But before that: Read & Review!


	8. Prey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! How is everyone this fine Christmas morning! I hope everyone is enjoying their gifts, plan to send time with their families and basically enjoy the rest of the day. Same for those who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other winter holiday.
> 
> Sorry this was pretty late in posting, been busying with my folks, had to slip away to post it. Again, not beta-read, only manage to skim the chapter and catch a few errors. Nefres, if you're reading thing, please PM me. Anyway, on with the show:
> 
> Edit 12/26/15: thanks to Mcat9905 for reminding me that the French don't celebrate Thanksgiving, an American holiday. Forgive me, I drafted this chapter a few days after Thanksgiving and just had a Thankgiving-like Christmas dinner. My bad, hope I didn't offend any of my overseas readers, especially my French readers. Forgive me for my brief stupidity of cultural differences ^^;

Looking back, Marinette wished she had kept her mouth shut about her plans with Hector. If she had, Alya wouldn't be going through her wardrobe trying to 'help' her with her 'date', Alya's words not her's, on Sunday. "Alya, it's not a date!" Marinette repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

"Sure it isn't," teased Alya, holding up two dresses and inspecting them each, "It's just a girl and boy hanging out at a museum on Sunday. By themselves."

"It's for the project!" hissed Marinette, "The museum has a bunch of 19th Century pieces, maybe we'll find one we agree on. What about you? Did you and Adrien finally decide on which artwork you're going to present."

"Yep, we've decided to go with Willain-Adolphe Bouguereau as the artist, though we're still torn over which of his work we should use," answered Alya, pulling out another piece of clothing from Marinette's closet, "And stop changing the subject. Now, do you want to wear a dress with wool leggings or a coat over a pair of jeans?"

Marinette groaned and flopped onto her chaise. School had just ended an hour ago and already Alya was rummaging through her clothing, trying to find something for the bluenette to wear on her outing with Hector. 'It's Thursday! I still have two more days until Sunday!' though Marinette, bitterly. The yellow ticket Hector gave her had been pinned to the wall, though now it seemed like it was mocking her. The shade of yellow seemed brighter then it had yesterday and it was giving her another headache. She made a mental note to remove it later.

After returning home from her 'chat' with Hector, her headache had subsided but her energy had waned and she fell back asleep in her room. Marinette was shocked to wake up and find that it was 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Apparently Tikki, her mother and father had tried to wake her up earlier but failed to do so and just left her to sleep. Her phone recorded several missed calls, most from Alya, one from a telemarketer and the last one, a voice recording, from Hector. "Hey Marinette, it's Hector," relayed the message, "Just wanted to know if you're fine with me picking you up for our trip to the museum. Call me back when you have the chance."

She did call back and told him it would be best if they just meet up at the museum instead. Marinette didn't want him coming back to her house, once for that group study was quite enough. After another hour of Alya going through Marinette's closet and they finally decided to go with white peplum top, blue jeans, her white flats and a quilted utility jacket. "You'll be fine, Marinette," said Alya, folding the clothes and putting them on her desk, "It's like you said: 'It's not a date', so quit acting like you're a lamb being shipped off to the slaughter."

' _And yet that's exactly how I feel_ ,' thought Marinette, trying to sooth her unset stomach.

"Girls! Are you up there?" called out Sabine from the kitchen, "I've got some fresh cinnamon rolls if you want some."

"Dibs on the biggest roll!" Alya yelled, sliding down the trap down towards the kitchen.

Marinette didn't get up from the chaise, just sighed and fell back onto the pillow. She still wasn't sure if what she did, accepting Hector's invitation, was a good thing. The things he talked about left a sense of bitterness and guilt wedged deep in her heart and it had yet to vanish or lessen with time. Tikki told her during their returned home that she didn't have a thing to feel bad about. Her secret identity was necessary in order to keep her family and friends safe, lying about her superhero duties just came with the job. And the whole alter-ego versus the civilian life. Complete and utter nonsense! Ladybug and Marinette are the same person! They acted different because their situations were different!

And yet Hector's word continued to haunt her. While she sew, ate, slept, the conversation kept replying in her head like a horrible record player. " _Isn't it better to be something amazing than something so boring and ordinary? And what would happen if they hate the real me or thought I was a let-down? The illusion dies because they expected him to be as incredible in his civilian life as he is a hero. Wouldn't it be such a disappointment to know the person you built up turned out to be boring and weak_?"

' _Boring and weak Marinette, not incredible and amazing Ladybug_ ,' though Marinette, curling up on the chaise.

" _You're such a sweet girl, Marinette. So open and honest, you'd probably never lie to anyone or keep secrets_ ," those last words are probably what hurt the most. It felt like he was taunting her. Like he knew she was a liar and was hiding it with a sweet-girl act. It made Marinette feel as fake as Chloe's nails and hair extension. Marinette knew she was probably overthinking it, no way Hector knew she was Ladybug, but it still made her paranoid and anxious. Alya came back upstairs with a plate of cinnamon rolls and while chewing on her own.

"Here," she said, offering the plate of sweets to her, "I heard cinnamon can help you relax."

"Somehow I doubt that," replied Marinette, uncurling herself and taking one of the rolls, "Even if it did, it's filled with sugar."

"It's called comfort food for a reason!" piped Alya, snatching another one, "Now quit being so nervous! You'll have a great time."

"Why don't you come with me then," asked Marinette, "I'm sure you'll have a great time too."

"Oh no you don't!" scolded Alya playfully, "You're the one who suppose to be hanging out with Hector, not me. You're not going to push Hector on me just 'cause you're nervous around him."

Marinette just nibbled on her roll as Alya kept going on about how she need to let herself go and to stop being so tense. Easier said then done, but Marinette decided to take Alya's advice and try to enjoy the upcoming outing. Not date, she refused to call it that. She was only glad that Hector hadn't told anyone about the plans as she knew Chloe and any of Hector's fan would probably go after her. Alya also promise not to say anything but she doubt it would stay a secret for long, at least until after the museum trip took place.

' _It's_ _just for a day_ ,' Marinette told herself, ' _Nothing bad is going to happen. It's just a for few hours, see some artworks and it's over. What could go wrong_?'

 oOoOoOoOo

Indeed the weekend came far too quickly for Marinette's liking. Dressed in her prepared outfit, the young French-Asian girl stood at the front entrance of the Musée d'Orsay at 11:45am. Why she came early, she didn't fully understand. Maybe she thought the earlier she came, the quicker this whole thing could be over with? Who knows, all Marinette really knew was that these seemed to be the longest minutes of her life waiting for Hector. She stood next to the doorway, watching the various Parisians and visitors dash into the heated building. Tikki, who was snuggled inside of one of her pockets, popped her head out.

"Marinette aren't you cold? Maybe you should go inside," the kwami said, point at the open doors, "Or maybe you should go get a warm drink? There's a café nearby, why don't you get some hot chocolate?"

"Tikki, it's fine," sighed Marinette, making sure no one was listening in. The last thing she wanted was for people to see her talking to 'herself' and think she's crazy. "It's just nerves. Plus I promise Hector I'd meet him at the front entrance. If I leave now and he comes, he'll just think I bailed on him."

Another five minutes passed before she finally spotted Hector. He was in the same coat he had from Wednesday morning but with darker jeans and pleather boots. Smiling and waving, he jogged up towards her. "Wow, didn't expect you to be early."

"You know what they say, 'early bird catches the worm,'" Marinette laughed nervously, shifting her weight from her right to her left leg, "So...we gonna go inside?"

Hector did the traditional 'after you' gesture and the two walked inside. The former train station turn museum was always a splendor to behold. The windows above them allowed the early morning rays of sunlight inside, illuminating the center pieces of artwork better then any spotlight could. Despite it being quite early, there was already a steady stream of tourists and visitors inside. Marinette had visit the Musée d'Orsay a couple of time, but never this early and was amazed by how beautiful the sunlight streamed on the statues and painting were.

Art students were seated around the most famous paintings, studying the brushstrokes, the colors and sketching in their sketchbooks. Tourists were the ones in large groups or with their families, cameras in hand and glancing at anything and everything without clear focus. The normal visitors were more relax, taking their time with each piece of art before going to the next. Marinette couldn't help but smile at the diversity, people can be just as interesting as the artwork they study. It was only when Hector touched her arm did the bluenette remember where she was and who she was with.

"Come on," he smiled, pointing to one of the upstairs exhibitions with a banner stating 19th Century Artworks in bold letters, "Let go there. We may finally have a piece to work on."

Marinette smiled nervously, her fingers suddenly interwoven with Hector's as he pulled her towards the exhibit. Unlike the lobby and center exhibit, this room didn't have as many people inside, just a parent and child and maybe a couple of lyée students near the back. Marble statues dominated the center of the floors while the walls were just lined with multiple paintings, enough that it made Marinette's head spin. How could she possible choose just one?!

"Looks like we'll be here a while," stated Hector, his fingers still wrapped around hers, "You don't mind right.

Marinette forced a smile, "Not at all."

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Adrien rubbed his temples as he felt a huge headache coming on. His photographer was having a hissy-fit with one of the design coordinator about the color of the flowers that were brought it. Since they got ahead with the Fall/Winter collection, Mr. Agreste decided that they should start with the promotional poster from his latest cologne. Dressed in a classic two-piece suit, Adrien was to pose in various locations in the gardens of the Palace de Versailles, holding a boutique of flowers. The image was suppose to portray the picture of elegance, romance and aura of a gentlemen, basically this cologne's concept was the make men into this Romeo-esque person that women fell for.

Unfortunately, the photographer thought the flowers that were brought, Apple blossoms and begonias, didn't fit the image of 'suave gentleman' and started to demand to replace the boutique on the spot with roses. This, of course, pissed off the design-coordinator, the one that had chosen the flowers as she had Gabriel Agreste approve of the flowers beforehand then spent the next two week ordering them, having them carefully shipped and freezing them to preserve their appearance. Both had gotten into a shouting match for the next few minutes while Adrien was ushered back towards the dressing room while he saw Nathalie make a beeline towards the fighting pair, a furious look on her face.

"Ugh, are you done here?" whined Plagg as Adrien shut his dressing room door behind him, "We've been here for hours and it's so boring!"

"Like you're the one to talk! All you do is sit in my bag and eat all the cheese that you want," replied Adrien, changing out of his suit. It was obvious that due to the fighting photographer and coordinator that they weren't going to be able to finish the shoot today. At least they got some decent photos.

"Yeah and it's so boring! What do you think happens when all the cheese is gone, huh? I'm stuck in the bag because I can't go out," complained Plagg, "And you won't let me play with your phone since you're afraid I'll 'wreck it.'"

Adrien rolled his eyes, "Yeah, because I completely trust you with expensive technology. Need I remind you that you almost fried one of my computer monitor because you thought the yellow computer chip was a slice of cheese?"

Plagg huffed and turned his nose up while Adrien checked his missed called. Over 20 texts and 8 missed calls where recorded on his phone. Two of those text and one missed call was from Nino, all asking if he had wanted to spend a weekend over with his family since Adrien's father would be gone to London for the next two weeks and Adrien would be stuck at home alone for the entire month. Adrien smiled at the thought of spending time with a real family, granted not his own, and not having to spend the entirety of November alone in his mansion with only Plagg and Nathalie as company. Plus, Nino's parents adore having him over, something calling him their 'second son', much to Adrien's delight. The blonde model texted Nino and told him that he would speak to his father later or have Nathalie send a message.

The rest of his missed texts and calls had all came from Chloe. Apparently, she had gotten better the last few days but was incredible irritable since she hadn't been paired with him or Hector for the project. Sabrina, as always, did all the work herself while Chloe did whatever her heart pleased, but this didn't satisfy Chloe. Texts like ' _Sabrina is so slow doing my work, I wish you were here to keep from getting bored'_ or ' _Did you speak with Hector today? Did he say anything about me? He's probably super worried how I am'_ and lastly ' _Poor Hector, having to be paired with that selfish Marinette. Did you know she tried to turn Sabrina against me?! You shouldn't hang around people like that'_.

After clearing his phone of the blonde girl's rambling text, Adrien shoved his phone into his bag, along with Plagg and headed out the room. Everyone had started clearing out of the shoot. Nathalie came walking over, her sour expression still present on her face. "Miss Bourgeois is here for you," she stated, gesturing towards one of the entrance of the gardens.

True to her word, Chloe was waiting near the fountain, Sabrina in tow, tapping her foot impatiently. Once spotted, she started waving flirtatiously at him. Adrien groaned internally as Nathalie rolled her eyes and walked away. Adrien walked up towards his childhood friend who immediately glomped on him, "Adrikins! How are you this fine day? Surprise to see me? I thought it would be wonderful if we could spend the rest day together!"

"Why not just kill us with your perfume?" muttered Plagg from his bag, "At least that's a merciful death."

"Uh...great Chloe," said Adrien, faking his enthusiasm. He had really hoped he would have the rest of the day off to relax, maybe travel across Paris as Chat Noir and buy some more of those gougères that Plagg was getting addicted to. Maybe kill two birds with one stone and visit Marinette to ask about the coats while he's buying Plagg his treats. Unfortunately, it seemed fate hated him today.

"Wonderful!" Chloe hooked her arm around Adrien's and pulled his towards the exit, "Sabrina, hold Adrien's bag."

"No! I'm fine," stated Adrien, tightening his hold on his bag with Plagg inside it, "It's fine, Sabrina."

Chloe yanked the blonde model towards a waiting Lincoln town car, obviously owned by Major Bourgeois, and barked at the driver to take them to the Boutiques du Palais des Congrès on the double. Adrien was shoved near the front with Chloe uncomfortably next to him while Sabrina was forced near the back seats, a good five feet away from the two blondes. The interior bar was stock with all of Chloe's favorite drinks, snacks and backup makeup bags. She plucked out a cup and bottle of her favorite Lorina flavor before nudging at Adrien.

"Go ahead," she said, battle her eyelash, "Enjoy my dad's hospitality. He had this car fully stock and everything. No, Sabrina, not you!"

Sabrina, who had only gotten a glass of water, sunk in to her seat in embarrassment as she put back her cup. "Honestly," hissed Chloe, "Do you have no manners? Do you just take advantage of other's generosity?"

Adrien squirmed in his Sears, "No thanks, I'm not really thirsty."

"Well that's fine, we'll have plenty to do at the mall," purred Chloe, taking a sip of her drink, "I saw that your father's Fall/Winter were being sold in one of the store and I just had to get this cute white knit dress with the matching fur boots but I wanted your opinion on how fabulous I look in them."

As Chloe continue to blab about her planned shopping trip for today was going to go on, Adrien sunk down in his own seat. This was NOT how he wanted to spend his Sunday! Unfortunately with Chloe's claws tightly on his arm and Gabriel Agreste's close connection with Mayor Bourgeois, Adrien felt like a rat cornered by a hunger cat. How ironic.

 oOoOoOoOo

Marinette stood in awe at Cabanel's _Birth of Venus_. Though not as famous as the original Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, the image of a gorgeously draped Venus riding the waves while five rosy-cheeks cherubs fly above her just drew her in. Plus since it was based of a already famous piece, they could incorporate both Cabanel and Botticelli. ' _Maybe I should convince Hector to do this piece_ ,' she thought, tilting her head for a different angle at the painting.

During their tour, the pair got separated from each other, Marinette's attention focused on the paintings while Hector was drawn in my the sculptures. She was completely grateful for their differences in art styles as the few minutes she had away from Hector allowed her to collect herself. Without reason, she felt herself come lightheaded, tired, almost to the point that she was stumbling a bit on her feet. Marinette was clumsy but come on! A nearby security guard had to check to make sure she was already, though she suspect it was because he thought she might be intoxicated.

Thankfully, her head cleared up rather quickly and she was able to resume her own tour through the exhibit. It was already half passed four and she decided it would be best to find Hector, compare art pieces, pick one and then leave. Sunset was at five and really wanted to get home before it got too dark, especially with the city wide curfew still in place. Scanning the rows of impressive marble and bronze statue before she spotted his classmate.

"Hey Hector," she said, walking up to him, "I found a painting we could use: _Birth of Venus_."

Hector raised a bemused eyebrow and chuckled, "While I admit Botticelli is an amazing artist, the project calls for 19th Century works."

"No, not Botticelli, Alexandra Cabanel's _Birth of Venus_ ," replied Marinette, pointing to the direction of where the painting was located.

"I'm not sure we should do that," he said, "While I admit Cabanel is an amazing artist, doing his reinterpretation of an already famous piece might not come across well. Plus since Botticelli's work was already know world wide, a reinterpretation wouldn't have made such a different in the art world. Maybe you should piece another of Cabanel's work."

Marinette looked down in defeat. He was right, doing an reinterpretation of another famous piece would just be a waste of time plus it wouldn't be such an impressive project piece anyway. She felt so stupid for choosing it and felt guilty for trying to convince Hector that it was a good choice. What was she thinking? Sighing, she turned towards and Hector and asked, "Well, what about you? Did you have a piece in mind?"

"Actually I do, it's this one right in front of me," Hector beamed, pointing to the marble statue in front of him, "Auguste Jean-Baptiste Clésinger's _Women Bitten by Snake_."

Upon viewing the sculpture, the horrid shivers and chills that once plagued her before came back full force. Captured in pure marble was a nude woman writhing in frozen pain and agony as a symbolic snake wrapped around his wrist. The statue's half open eyes seem to bore into her as it draped herself over a bed of flowers. For some reason, Marinette's thought drifted back to the Sleeping Beauties victims and wonder if their bodies were found in similar states.

"Clésinger used a mold of a model when doing this sculpture and many art critics considered it cheating plus the face that it was a nude woman on the grown in pain also caused it to be quite the scandal," explained Hector, "What do you think, pretty impressive, right?"

' _Yeah if you like the image of a woman frozen in pain for all eternity_ ,' yelled Marinette in her mind as she stared at the statue, her mouth pulling into a thin line. It shocked and scared her that this was the type of art work he like and she felt nervous of doing a project on this. Not that the artwork wasn't well crafted or really creepy, though the topic did spook her, it was just something about Hector being so enthusiastic about this piece that set her off.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Hector holding her hand. "Come on," he smiled, his eyes focused on her, "You have to admit it's a great artwork. Plus we can't just keep looking at more artworks, we only have three weeks. So...what do you say?"

"Uh..." Marinette stammered, feeling Hector squeeze her hands, "Sure, why not. You seem to already know a lot about the piece anyway."

Hector smiled and, to Marinette's shock, kissed her on the cheek, "Thanks, I promise you won't be disappointed."

Whatever went through Marinette's head at the time started to fade away. Her mind was woozy, her legs staggered under her weight and she become unbalance. Hector caught her before she fell to the ground, barely registering a tiny, non-audible shriek from Tikki inside her collar. People around them gasped in shock and started to swarm the teens, asking if the girl was alright, if she was sick, commenting how pale she was and if she needed assistance or a doctor.

A nearby security guard was about to rush for the museum's nurse before Hector stopped him. "It's fine," stated Hector, his voice fuzzy and distorted in Marinette's ear, "She's just a bit sick from the changing weather. No need to make such a fuss. I'll take her home."

Somehow he manage to calm the crowd, no doubt his charm with the women and his self-assured demeanor convinced the male. In the end, he scooped up Marinette in his arm and headed for the door. She shivered, his hands were wrapped around her body, almost protective, but it made her skin crawl when his hands firmly grasped her exposed arms. Why, oh why did she have to remove her jacket! The museum's heater was on and she was sweating so she had wrapped the jacket around her waist, not wanting to get sweaty. Looking back, she could handle being baked in her jacket is it meant not having Hector's fingers on her skin.

Thankfully, beside the small crowd they left in the exhibit, most of the visitors had left the building so it saved her some embarrassment that only a few glanced as Hector walked by carrying her out. The near winter air hit her at full blast, making her desire for her jacket even stronger. Hector either didn't notice or didn't care as he walked down the street, the museum's building growing smaller and smaller in her line of vision.

"Just relax, Marinette," cooed Hector as he turned down towards the west street, "I'll get you home soon."

Only then when he uttered those words did it hit her, hard. He was carrying her down WEST street, her family bakery was on east street, the opposite direction! Looking up, Hector glanced down at her smiling, those in her fuzzy vision, that smiled looked far more sinister than it should have been. Whatever was going on, Marinette knew one thing for sure: Hector wasn't taking her home. With no available strength, all she could do was watch her remaining power shut down as she fell limp in his arms, falling unconscious.

The last thing she could recall was Hector halting mid-step and his body stiffen up and said a sentence that made her heart leap:

"Oh, good evening Chat Noir."

Then she blacked out.

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Adrien barely broke free of Chloe's grip. His saving grace was Plagg, fed up with the whiny blonde girl and her doormat friend, started playing with the ringtone on Adrien's phone. He faked a call from Nathalie, telling him about a last-minute photo shoot, and used it to bid Chloe and Sabrina goodbye before the two girls could get a word in. By the time he exited the mall, the sky was already dark and the street lights were on. Instead of heading to an empty home or calling Nino, who was probably out with his folks, he ducked into an alleyway and transformed into Chat Noir.

Despite the bitter cold winds biting through his tight leather suit, Chat Noir felt invigorated. Winter's first snow fall was only a few weeks away and it would be his first time in years to actually enjoy it. Before, his father would always book trips out of Paris to more tropical climate, complaining that the winter would only dry out his skin and hair and prevent him from working. But now that he finally convinced his father to stay, he could finally enjoy a real winter wonderland with his friends and his Ladybug!

Speaking of winter, the feline superhero wondered if Marinette was close to finishing his and his Lady's coats? He recalled that Hector manage to ask out Marinette to the Musée d'Orsay but doubt that they could still be there. Just to make sure, he changed his course from Marinette's bakery towards the museum. By the time the museum was in sight, the sky turned a dark navy blue while all the lights came on at full force, even the Eiffel Tower was illuminated. Visitors were pouring out of the building's double doors yet his couldn't spot either of his classmates.

' _Huh, guess they left earlier_ ,' thought Chat Noir as the last remaining visitors were ushered out of the museum, ' _Princess must be back home. Maybe I should pop by and_...'

He stop, mid-sentence, when his eyesight spotted a familiar figure traveling west of the building. With his heightened eyes, Adrien could make out Hector's brown hair and the designer jacket he wore to school on Friday. Smiling, he made his way over to his classmate, wanting to see what he was doing out so late and by himself. That, and Hector told him that he was a fan of Chat Noir and couldn't help but show off in front of another fan beside his Princess. Leaping down, his obviously gave Hector a shock and stopped his halfway through his walk.

"Oh, good evening Chat Noir," stuttered Hector, surprised by his sudden appearance.

Before he could breathe a word, Chat's eyes fell to the bundle in his arm and froze. Unmoving and unconscious was his shy and stuttering princess, Marinette. Her skin was unnaturally pale, lips opened slightly allowing short puffs of airs through, and her entire body looked lifeless, almost as if she was dead. "What happening...uh, is she alright?" stammered Chat Noir as he touched Marinette's forehead, looking for a sign of a fever.

"She fainted back at the museum and I was taking her to the hospital down the road," explained Hector, looking worried and tightening his grasp on Marinette's tiny frame, "I tried to call for an ambulance but they said they were none available."

Chat Noir looked alarmed by that news. "Give her to me, I'll take her," ordered Chat Noir, trying to pry Marinette away from his Hector.

But Hector persist, "No, it's fine! I'll take her. Plus I kinda scared if she wakes up and finds herself alone in the hospital."

"Don't worry," stated Chat Noir, finally managing to remove Marinette from Hector's arm, "Princess here knows me. I'll make sure she's safe and sound."

Hector looked like he was ready to argue but didn't. Instead his said, "Okay, just make sure you don't jostle her on the way to the hospital. Please take care of her. I'll call her folks and tell her what happen."

Chat Noir bid Hector and good night and raced off across the rooftops towards the east side. Had Chat Noir not been so worried about Marinette, he would have realized that both Marinette's home and the nearest hospital was on the EAST, the opposite direction Hector was walking towards. He also would have noted that Hector wasn't panicked as he should have been or the simple fact that he was WALKING, not running if he was truly worried about Marinette's condition. But his naivety chalked it up to Hector's confusion of Paris's streets and not walking to jostle Marinette on his way to the hospital.

Ten minutes after leaving Hector, Marinette started to move. Her tired groan is what caught Chat Noir off guard, nearly getting them both to crash into the side of building. Thankfully, he didn't as Marinette started to squirm and move in his arm. He tried to shush her gently. "Hey Princess," he cooed, "You okay? Didn't take a knock to the head did you?" Chat winced at that last part, really not the time to be cracking jokes.

If Marinette had heard it, she didn't acknowledge it but instead groaned and struggled to open her eyes. "Chat," her voice was rough and sore, like she had just woken up with a really bad cold, "Where am I?"

"Rooftop," he answered, adjusting his carry of her so she was more comfortable, "Hector told me you fainted so I'm taking you to the hospital..."

"No!" shouted Marinette, her exclaim almost causing Chat Noir to drop her, "Just take me home. I'm fine, just...tired."

The leather-clad boy looked torn. "Are you sure?" he asked, "You might have hit your head badly. You sure you don't want a doctor to see you or..."

Marinette shook her head. "No, no doctors. Just...get me home," she yawned that last part, already feeling a bit lightheaded.

"What?! No, I'm taking you to the hospital," stated Chat Noir, readying to dash across the rooftops before he felt at his suit.

"No! Just take me home," whispered the bluenette, "I'm just tired. I need to go home."

The last time Marinette wanted was to go to a hospital. Hospitals meant a call to her parents, Alya finding out and becoming school news the next day. She rather not suffer through that humiliation or a fan girl attack when they find out she was on a 'outing' with Hector. After begging Chat Noir for a third time, he finally relented and ran towards the direction of her home. Thankfully, her parents were busy downstairs in the bakery and didn't see or hear Chat Noir stumbling on their rooftop balcony and sliding inside her room.

Chat Noir gently placed her on her bed as Marinette dozed off yet again. Instead of taking off the same way he did, his more nosy and mischievous side started to explore the room. It was still the same as he first visit here, except the mannequins she was using for Ladybug's and Chat Noir's coats were in the far corner or the room. Ladybug's peacoat was obviously finished and was only going through some last minute design checks while Chat Noir's coat still needed the hems tucked in. Tacked to the top was another note with various designs in green: a paw print, cat scratches and a stylized black cat outlined in white thread with green eyes. Underneath the designs was the reminder ' _ask Chat Noir if he wants any design on his coat'_ in Marinette's handwriting. Taking a nearby pencil from her desk, he circled the paw print and scratches and wrote ' _I like these'_ with his Chat Noir signature of a grinning cat.

Glancing back at the sleeping girl, Chat Noir quickly looked her over for any signs of a fever or an injury before taking off. There was nothing except a weird mark on the back of her neck that looked like a simplification of a butterfly design with four almond-shaped wings. Weird but nothing unusually, it wasn't surprising to him since Alya pointed out that Marinette would sometimes fall asleep on some of her buttons or stencils and have funny markings on her skin the next day. Sadly, Adrien didn't realize how odd it was to make markings on the back of the neck, one of the most sensitive parts of the body and would notice if something hard was pushed up against it. But he didn't and exited out the of room as soon as he hear Mrs. Cheng's footsteps coming up the stairs.

 oOoOoOoOoOo

_Glass shards rained down as the chair made contact with the mirror. He was pissed to say the least. So close, so close was to finally get Marinette alone had that irritating Chat Noir not interfered. He had not only manage to get Marinette alone with him, but drained her of enough energy to incapacitate her. Granted her fainting at the museum was a bit of a drawback but none the less got the excuse to take her away with a reason no one would suspect. With the sky being so dark and couples being out and about, he drew no attention as he carried Marinette down the street and honestly he didn't think anyone would recognize him or the tiny French-Asian girl in his arms._

_Pity he didn't take into account of Chat Noir's night vision or that Chat Noir would be out at all. He'd always assume the feline superhero wouldn't do anything without Ladybug. He was also shocked that Chat Noir knew Marinette on more than a civilian bases. Despite trying to keep a cool demeanor, he could see the recognition in Chat's eyes as he gazed at the unconscious Marinette and it pissed him off. Just his luck that his prey knew one of the Lucky Duo! He tried to prevent the cat from taking her but decided against it, noting that it would look suspicious if Marinette falls into a coma the next day after their date at the museum. All he could do was watch as that mangy feline hopped across the rooftops with his treasure._

_Back home, he let loose his anger. Mirrors were broken, chairs thrown, curtains and sheets ripped. At the end of it all, the room was completely destroyed. He wasn't worried about the neighbors complaining about the noise, one was an elderly lady who was deaf without her hearing aid and a daily-drunk college student. He was safe, for now anyway._

_Really it was no one's fault but his own. He had gotten too ambitious, too cocky. He wasn't suppose to take her out so soon, especially since there were people who knew about their outing, he was suppose to stick to his usually schedule. But oh how he craved that succulent energy source. He was still drunk from Marinette's energy and wanted to drain her right then and there but barely restrained himself from doing so in public. It was too soon, too public, which led to the rash decision of taking her home._

_"Your wasting my time," hissed the Voice, "You missed a perfect opportunity to grab Chat Noir's Miraculous!"_

_"It was too risky and you know it," he hissed back, trying to gather his thoughts, "Calm yourself! I'm so close! Give me a few more days and I'll get you your Miraculous."_

_"A week, that's all I'm giving you," stated the Voice, fading away, "If you fail, I'm taking away your powers. This is your last chance."_

_He groaned as he threw himself onto his torn and ripped bed, his anger fizzling back up. A week, seven days to drain Marinette and go after Ladybug and Chat Noir. He signed, pretty tight deadline but he could meet it. Already Marinette was ensnared in his trap thanks to her friends and he manage to drain nearly half of her energy anyway. He could do it, in a few days Marinette will join his other victims and the Lucky Duo can kiss their Miraculous goodbye._

_'Forgive me, Marinette,' he thought, sleep overtaking his mind, 'I didn't want to do this to you, but hey. C'est la vie.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! Chapter 8 is a bit shorter than the rest which is why it took me a while to write (I thought it should be longer but decided against it, don't want to fill it with useless details). Anyway, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and I am at the halfway point of this fic! Yep, O & B is coming to an end pretty soon and I have another surprise for all of you. I'll make the announcement when I post ch. 10, until then, enjoy your holidays and have a Merry Christmas!
> 
> Kindest Regards,
> 
> Underworld Angel


	9. Affliction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is getting more and more tired, so much so that it interferes with her work as Ladybug. Chat Noir takes over the investigation and gathers new information.  
> (I'm not good with chapter summaries)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of people have been asking this: why doesn't Tikki notice or sense Hector when he is near Marinette? As mentioned in earlier chapters, Hector's akuma can hide his 'aura' or power from any nearby kwami or Miraculous holders. The only reason Tikki could sense his power on the victims is because he is no longer around them to hide his signature. When Hector dates a victim, he is careful to mask any traces of his power around them as not to alert any nearby kwamis or Miraculous holders from figuring out who he is targeting. When he completely drains his target, his mask disappears since he done with them and is moving on to another target. Just wanted to clear this up for some people.
> 
> Also, announcement: at the end of the chapter, I have a little surprise for my fans but I'll wait until you're finish with this chapter. Anyway, on with the show:

After stumbling for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Marinette soon found herself wishing she took her mother's offer of staying home. The young French-Asian girl had woken up early Monday morning without an ounce of strength and a headache that felt like it would split her skull in two. Literally, it took her over an hour to get out of bed and get dress. It was only by some miracle that she manage to staggered into her seat before the bell rang, then proceed to knock out for the rest of the class.

"Jeeze, you look terrible," commented Alya, helping her friend up and onto a nearby bench.

"Thanks for the complement," replied Marinette sarcastically, leaning against the blogger's shoulder.

Lunch had already broken out and half the student body had already left towards their home or nearby cafes to eat. Chloe started walking by with Sabrina carrying several of her books and Chloe's new Prada handbag. "Oh look," snickered Chloe, pointing to Marinette, "Halloween came early."

The bluenette merely rolled her eyes at the comment and said nothing, not having the energy to make a remark back. Alya took care of that, "Yeah, Marinette took inspiration from that horror mask you had on last week."

Chloe sneered at that, making another insult that Marinette didn't bother to catch. She was too tired, too drained, honestly she should just pack up her stuff and call in sick for the rest of the day. Mme. Bustier had already asked her twice if she wanted to see the nurse, each time she refused, though the redheaded teacher kept glancing back at her during her lecture. Mme. Mendeleiev wasn't as kind and kept scolding her whenever she caught Marinette dozing off, much to Chloe's amusement. Hector, surprisingly, didn't seem to notice her exhaustion or just didn't comment on it but kept close to her, occasionally walking pass and patting her on the shoulder. Her true plight was when Adrien kept glancing back at her and asking if she was alright. For once, she was thankful her exhaustion prevented her from embarrassing herself.

' _Maybe I should take everyone's suggestion and call it a day_ ,' thought Marinette, clutching at her bag.

On cue, Alya threw one of Marinette's arm over her shoulder and hoisted her up, "Come on, Marinette. Let's get you home. You're obviously too tired to do anything."

Despite the fact that Marinette's home was across from the school, the trek up to her bedroom was long and tedious, especially when it came to climbing the stairs. They didn't even bother getting Marinette to bed and instead plopped her down on her chaise and the two bid goodbye with Alya promise to share notes on their remaining classes. Mrs. Cheng came in and tossed a blanket over her daughter and told her to rest. "I'll make you some hot and sour soup later," she promised, disappearing behind the trapdoor.

With the room clear, Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse and pressed her tiny hand to Marinette's forehead. "You don't feel warm," she stated, "And you're not coughing or sniffling or have a sore throat."

"I think I'm just tired, Tikki," said Marinette, shifting to a more comfortable position, letting out a loud yawn, "I'll probably feel better after a short nap. Wake me up if anyone calls me."

Almost immediately, Marinette fell asleep. Tikki took it upon herself to snuggle up next to the girl under the covers. Whatever plagued the girl, Tikki wanted to protect her. Marinette had been one of the kindest and selfless human beings she had chosen to wield her Miraculous. She was very dear to the little kwami, as all previous wielders were, but none had ever gone through such a strange bouts of fatigue as severe as what Marinette was suffering from.

' _Take care, Marinette_ ,' whispered Tikki, ' _I feel like something bad is going to happen_.'

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Chat Noir sat on top of one of the many gargoyles of Notre Dame as he waited for his Lady to arrive. December 1st was just two weeks away and once December hit it would only be a few more weeks before Winter Break. Adrien still hadn't told Chloe about his change of plan but promise himself to tell her during the weekend. By then it would be too late refund or refuse the cruise trip. He felt guilty about deceiving Chloe like that, something Nino and Plagg told him not to, but he couldn't risk Chloe trying to take up his entire Winter Break with each convoluted event or trip she planned.

Half an hour passed before Ladybug actually showed up. "Good evening, my Lady," purred Chat, "You know it's rude to keep someone wait..." Chat was cut off when Ladybug's legs buckled under her weight and fell. Thankfully he manage to catch her before her body touch the ground. "Whoa! I didn't think you'd literally fall for me."

"Not now, Chat," muttered Ladybug, as she gathered herself. Marinette had slept through a good portion of the day and only woke up because Tikki had alerted her to Chat's call. Despite the long nap, she still felt wobbly and woozy but persisted and transformed into Ladybug.

Taking a closer look at Ladybug, Chat noticed how pale her face was and how dull her normally shining blue eyes were. He recalled Marinette looking the same way, as well as Chloe a few days before and wondered if there really was a flu going around. That would really suck for them both if their big Christmas Eve plans were cancel due to one or both of them catching a cold! Setting her down gently against the wall, Ladybug rubbed her eyes until her vision got more clearer and her head cleared up.

"You okay?" asked Chat Noir, "If you're sick maybe you should head home and sit this one out."

"No!" Ladybug shouted, getting up on shaky legs, "I'm not sick. Just a bit tired. I'll wake up after a good run."

Her feline companion didn't look convinced but dropped it, not wanting to get into a fight with his Lady. "Okay, so where are we heading? Another of the victims' family?" asked Chat.

Ladybug shook her head, "Actually, we're heading towards the Grand Paris Hotel. We need to visit Chloe Bourgeois."

"The mayor's daughter?" Chat Noir questioned, looking a bit worried, "Why?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I have a feeling she may have been targeted by the Parisian Incubus," stated Ladybug, already hopping across the rooftop with her normal balance and agility slowly returning.

"Wait, what!" yelled Chat, racing after her, "How can you tell?!"

"Haven't you notice how she acted a few days ago during one of the mayor's public speeches? The paleness, fatigue, I don't care how much makeup that girl wears, there is no way she can hide those bags under her eyes," stated Ladybug.

"But she got better!" Chat Noir replied, "So maybe it was just a flu or maybe the Parisian Incubus left her alone."

"If he did, then that's worse!" cried Ladybug, "If he had chosen Chloe as his next target then we would have been able to stop him. But if he did drop her, then that means we're back to square one on where he could be!"

As bad as it sound, a part of Adrien suddenly wished that the Incubus had targeted Chloe. It would have made their mission easier and they would save hundreds of thousands of other girls from being attack. Plus even if the Incubus targeted Chloe, Ladybug's powers would have healed her afterward. By the time the Lucky Duo reached the home of the Bourgeois, Ladybug had manage to recover at least half of her strength and had filled in Chat Noir about the possible akuma-ized necklace.

Getting inside wasn't all that difficult, all they had to do was tell the receptionist that they were here to see Chloe and the blonde girl literally screamed in glee on the hotel phone and demanded that they be brought to her room. Chloe, as always, was ecstatic to see her favorite masked hero, practically pushing Ladybug into her room. Chat Noir not so much. In fact the mayor's daughter practically ignored the feline partner unless he was directly talking to her.

"I can't believe Ladybug is in my room again! Oh, what am I saying? Of course, Ladybug would come to visit me, why wouldn't she?" stated Chloe quite haughtily, glancing to Sabrina who looked torn between acting excited to see Paris's famed heroes and trying not to upset Chloe.

"Yeah..." drawled out Ladybug, really wishing that she didn't have to be here, "Listen, I'm sure you've heard that we're investigating the Sleeping Beauties case..."

"Oh of course I know that you're taking over the case," the blonde girl smiled before turning to Sabrina, her expression soured, " _Sabrina's_ _father_ is suppose to be helping with the case but you know how incompetent he can be. You know I lost one of my prized bracelet and the guy _refuse_ to arrest this girl for stealing it! Of course I later found my bracelet in my bag but still..."

Marinette felt herself getting more angry as she watch Chloe continuous bash on the police, Sabrina's father especially. Sabrina seemed to grow visibly upset and tried to make herself invisible in the background. Despite being 'friends' with Chloe, she still hated when Chloe talk ill about her father whenever he refuse to follow one of the Bourgeois's outlandish demands, like arresting a teenage girl for stealing with no evidence. He already lost his job once due to that, followed by the Robocop event, and the mayor promised to make his unemployment stick if this case wasn't solved.

"The case is actually why we're here," stated Ladybug, interrupting Chloe mid-rant, "We believe that you may have been targeted by the Parisian Incubus."

"Me!? Why on Earth would anyone want to harm me?" Chloe exclaimed, "I'm so sweet and kind to everyone. Oh, I see. He's probably fallen for me. After all, all of the Sleeping Beauties are said to be really beautiful girls, it's no wonder he fell for me."

"Uh huh, but you've recovered your strength which led us to believe that you've come into contact with him but he decided against targeting you," continued Ladybug.

"He probably knew that if he dare hurt one hair on my perfect head that my daddy would have the entire police force in all of France after him," smiled Chloe, "I still don't see why this is important."

Ladybug groaned, "The Parisian Incubus is known for dating his victims. Have you gone on any date with any boys you don't know or spend long time with unknown guys?"

At that, Chloe burst out laughing. "No way! Not just _anyone_ can hang out with me! Beside, I already told you about my boyfriend, Adrien," Chloe hooked an arm around Ladybug as if she was an old friend and pointed to her 24-carat framed photo of Adrien, "You remember right? His rich, famous and a model. His dad is a famous design and a friend of my father. Plus, Adrien and I are going on a romantic couple's cruise trip during this December."

"Oh right," muttered Ladybug, rolling her eyes, "How can I forget?"

Behind the two, Chat Noir choked on his breath, his face twisted between disbelief, disgust and horror. Chloe had just told Ladybug that Adrien and her were dating! And according to Chloe's statement, she had told this lie before! Chat Noir really hoped Ladybug didn't believe it or he'd have to find some way to convince his Lady that it wasn't true. While Ladybug didn't know Adrien and Chat Noir were one and the same, he sure as heck didn't want her to think that he was dating someone while flirting with her. What would happen if she found out his identity?! He'd imagine she'd probably think he was just some sleazy player and his feelings about her were never genuine, she'd be disgusted by his 'infidelity' and hate him and would refuse to speak to him ever again! As you could see, Adrien's imagination was almost as overactive and outrageous as Marinette's.

' _Gotta fix this, gotta fix this, gotta fix this_...' Chat chanted in his head, trying to formulate how to tell Ladybug that Adrien and Chloe were in NO WAY dating.

"Are you sure that you've haven't been around new or unfamiliar guys?" Ladybug asked.

"The only weird guys I've seen are my daddy's new servants or the staff at my boyfriend's photoshoot, but they're so old and I wouldn't be caught dead being around them unless they're helping me with my stuff," scoffed Chloe, absentmindedly checking her nails, "Sabrina! Show Ladybug the list of new staff my daddy hired with their photos, have her check them out."

Ever obedient, Sabrina brought out several manila folders of the seven new male employees of the Grand Paris Hotel. "Here they are," smiled Sabrina, excited to be so close to Paris's heroes, "All the new employees that have access to Chloe's room or have been around her."

"Thanks," said Ladybug, skimming through the photos for the tell-tale bleeding heart necklace, "Do they all work the same shift?"

"Yes, they're working right now," answered Sabrina, "I'll take you to them!"

"Yeah, yeah, let Sabrina do that," waved off Chloe, "I've gotta see which of my swimsuits I'm going to take to the cruise!"

Only two minutes after leaving Chloe's room, Ladybug's earring starting going off. To her horror, it was her last dot. "Uh...sorry, could you two go on without me. I need to take care of something first." Before the two could get a word in, the red and polka-dotted girl took off and disappeared around the corner.

Turning into a camera-less corridor that led to the fire escape, Marinette's transformation wore off and she fell to the ground in exhaustion. Tikki floated down next to her, also looking out of breath and tired. "I'm sorry, Marinette," apologize Tikki, "But you were so tired when we left home so I lend you some of my energy to help you but then I started getting tired..."

"Tikki," gasped Marinette, cradling her kwami in her hand, "It's fine. I didn't realize how drained I was."

Marinette was grateful that she had gotten into the habit of storing sweets in her purse. Small things like cookies and macarons in little bags for Tikki to eat during school hours or to save for later. Tikki quickly munched away on cocoa-dusted truffles before transforming her back to Ladybug. By the time she regrouped with Chat Noir and Sabrina, they manage to roundup all the new employees.

The Lucky Duo interview them, but kept their eyes on their necks looking for a chain or necklace visible as akuma-ified victims couldn't part with their possessed item. Only two had necklaces hidden away, but neither of them held the bleeding heart charm. Once satisfy, and somewhat disappointed, that none of them were the akuma villain, the staff went back to work and Sabrina escorted them out.

"So it's not the staff and, unless Chloe lying, she hasn't been on any dates," concluded Ladybug, "So that means it has to be someone she wouldn't consider unusual being close in contact with..."

For the second time, Ladybug started getting tired and had to have Chat Noir help her stand. "As much as I love sweeping you off your feet, I think it's time you head home," replied Chat.

"Sorry, sorry, I don't know what's gotten over me," yawned Ladybug, "I've been exhausted for the past few days."

"Weather change?" suggested Chat Noir.

"Maybe..." said Ladybug, yawning again, "Sorry I'm cutting our investigation short. I'll let you handle the rest for today."

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Chat Noir, "W-what do you mean...what am I suppose to..."

Ladybug hooked her yoyo over a nearby building chimney. "Head over to the Hotel Dieu hospital, the sister of the first victim contacted me. She said she had some information that could be important to the case."

Before Chat could ask something else, Ladybug was gone. The travel back home was difficult as she kept stumbling and nearly missing each landing. By the time she got back home, Marinette had collect about a dozen new bruises. In addition, Tikki was beyond drained. The two of them fell back onto Marinette's bed, neither one having enough strength to move to a more comfortable position or, in Marinette's case, change into her pajamas.

This would be the third day in a row that she would skip dinner. She could tell that her parents were worried for her health, Marinette fought hard to convince her mother not to call a doctor or schedule an appointment. ' _What is wrong with me_?' she thought, barely registering her mother calling for her, ' _Why am I so tired all the time_?'

"Marinette," her mother's head pokes through the trap door, "I called for you three times. Dinner is ready."

"I really don't feel that well, maybe later," croaked Marinette, barely lifting her head from her pillow.

"Sweetie, maybe a call to Dr. Masson is an order," suggested Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, climbing into her daughter's room.

Tikki slid underneath Marinette's pillow as Marinette pushed her self up. "No, mom! I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Too tired to eat?" Sabine's question borderline disbelief, "Honey if you're sick then you need to see the doctor or you'll never get better."

"I know but I'm not sick," replied Marinette, feeling her strength slowly return, "Really! I think it's just the stress of finals taking a toll on me."

Sabine didn't look sold on the idea of leaving Marinette with what she assumed was a budding fever but reluctantly left her daughter alone, silently making a reminder to make a doctor's appointment this weekend. Once she heard the trap door close and her mother's footsteps fade away, Marinette fell back onto the bed, Tikki, her strength recovered, flew out of her hiding space.

"Maybe your mother's right," argued Tikki, "Maybe you should go see a doctor. It isn't normal for you to be so tired."

"I'm fine," growled Marinette, her tired mood becoming cranky, "I don't NEED to go to a doctor. I'll be fine. What I NEED is to focus on the case. Have you sensed _anything_ , Tikki?"

Tikki looked worried at this point. "No, that's the problem!" she stated, "I feel as if something is blocking my senses. Like there's this fog in my head. It clears up now and then but it's so frustrating."

"How are you now?" Marinette asked, slowly stretching her limbs.

"I'm fine now, but this morning at school, I felt so lethargic and heavy," replied Tikki.

Marinette frowned, this wasn't normal. Tikki was usually the alert one, the one with all the answers, this rarely, see 'never', happens to her. Whatever was causing Tikki to feel so lightheaded had to be bad as this had never happen in the 5000+ years of her kwami's life. Marinette decided that she had to be extra alert, not just for the Parisian Incubus but also for the source of Tikki's sudden fogged senses.

' _Great_...' groaned Marinette, ' _As if I didn't already have enough problems to deal with_.'

Suddenly, her phone started ringing. Fumbling with her bag, Marinette pulled out her phone and checked her caller ID: it was Hector. "Hey Marinette," greeted Hector, "I know it's late but I was wondering if I could stop by and go over some aspects of our project. I promise it will be quick."

She honestly wanted to refuse, to argue against it, but the two were already behind on the project. "Sure," she said, "Come on over. I'll tell my parents to let you in."

"Great!" he exclaimed over the phone, "I'm nearby so you won't have to wait long."

Marinette was about to hang up when she remembered what happen on Sunday, or rather what she couldn't remember. "Hey Hector, can I ask you something? What happen at the museum? All I can remember is passing out in the middle of the museum then nothing." This freaked her out because she racked her brain for any trace memories but found nothing. Tikki couldn't help her since she was in her coat pocket the entire time and didn't get out for fear of being spotted.

"After you fainted, I tried to take you to the hospital but then Chat Noir showed up and took you home. He said he knew you," answered Hector.

"Oh, okay..." said Marinette, "So...I'll see you when you get here. Bye."

After hanging up, Tikki flew up to Marinette. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tikki questioned, "You're still pretty weak."

"It's fine," the bluenette replied, getting off her bed, her steps swayed a bit but she kept her balance, "I'm getting my strength back so I'm not going to pass out on him. Plus we only have two weeks until the project is due and we've haven't even started on the essay."

"...okay, but at least eat some dinner so your parents won't worry so much," stated Tikki.

Marinette nodded her head as she made her way down the stairs. Her parents were incredibly happy to see her eating normally, so much so that they didn't mind if one of her classmates came by so late. The Sleeping Beauties case and Hector's expected arrival had been pushed out of her head as she enjoyed dinner with her parents. For a while, it seemed as nothing was wrong. Like there wasn't an akuma wreaking havoc upon the female citizens of Paris or a handsome yet strange classmate that gave her the chills. Just her, her mother, her father and some of her mother's homemade meals.

Sadly, dinner only lasted half an hour when they heard the doorbell ring. "Must be my classmate," stated Marinette, going downstairs, "We're just going to work on my project. We'll be done soon."

"Have fun, sweetie," called out her mother.

' _If only that was possible_ ,' thought Marinette as she walked down to meet Hector.

 oOoOoOoOoOo

After Ladybug had left, Chat Noir stood dumbfounded on the front entrance of the Grand Paris Hotel before he was jogged back to life by Plagg's whiny voice about 'stop looking like an idiot' and headed towards the hospital. The trip to the hospital didn't take long but he was hesitant about going inside without Ladybug. After his rather awkward interview with Mrs. Anderson, Chat had really hoped he wouldn't have to do that again. Neither Adrien nor Chat Noir weren't used to dealing with families touched by tragedy, especially families that were expecting _them_ to solve it.

Unlike the first time, the lobby wasn't filled with police officers and crying parents. There were still some officers of the Police Nationale, all who seemed to glare at his presence at the hospital. It didn't surprise Chat Noir, he had seen the news report, heard the rumors and read the scathing articles and it would have been a miracle if the cops HADN'T gotten angry with them. Ignoring them, he walked straight towards the receptionist desk with the same woman he and Ladybug first meet.

"Excuse me," he said, "But I was told that a sibling of the first victim asked for me."

"Yeah, I did," growled a bitter female voice behind him, making the feline hero jump.

Victoria Roux's outer appearance screamed dark and moody. Similar to Juleka's outfit, she wore black everything: jeans, shirt, shoes, hair color but had a red streak in it instead of purple. Unlike Juleka, Victoria didn't seem at all sweet or kind, her brown eyes seem to stare him down and her mouth froze in a permanent scowl. "If you're done staring," she hissed, "Follow me."

The girl marched down an empty hallway with Chat Noir trailing behind. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that Ladybug isn't going to be showing up," Victoria stated.

"She's busy..." began Chat Noir but was cut off by the angry girl.

"I don't blame her. If it hadn't been for the other girls, no one would have cared about my sister," replied Victoria, "Neither would I."

Shocked, Chat Noir stammered, "That's not true! I'm sure you care about your sister and the police would have..."

"Save that pity and sympathy for someone deserving of it," Victoria barked, "My sister was a bitch! Nothing but a spoiled brat that took everything she could get her grubby hand on, never said thank you, apologize or gave back. Even my parents couldn't stand her."

By the time the two reached Alexandra Roux's room, Victoria's attitude seemed to be calmer after verbally bashing her sister. Once the initial shock of Victoria's disregard for her sister's life passed, Chat Noir finally took a look at the first victim of the Sleeping Beauties incident. Alexandra Roux was a very gorgeous looking woman. Early 20's, smooth tan skin, wavy chestnut-colored hair and a slim athletic built. She could have easily become a model, heck she already looked like some of the models Adrien worked with.

"Beautiful isn't she," grunted Victoria, "Until she opens her mouth. Sometimes I'm glad she's in this state, she can't hurt people."

"Has she hurt you?" Chat Noir asked.

Victoria scoffed at that. "Not as much as she hurt our folks. Financially, she nearly ruined us until dad got fed up and cut her off. Then she went after Henry and drained him for everything and left with some rich dude to do the same."

Chat Noir looked confused. "Henry?"

"Alexa's boyfriend," explained Victoria, "Well _ex_ -boyfriend. They met in college and he fell in love with her. Why, I don't know. Most guys would run after a week of putting up with her shit, but Henry was convince he could change her. Make her a better person. He really was a sweet guy...don't know what he saw in my sister..."

Looking up, Chat Noir notice that Victoria's cheeks had turn red and she had that far away look in her eyes. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah...just miss him," whispered Victoria, "He disappeared after Victoria drained his bank account and dumped him in front of his house and sped off with her new boytoy."

"You don't have some way Ladybug or I can contact him?" Chat Noir questioned, "Phone number? Email?"

"You two don't need to," stated Victoria, "Because Henry is the one responsible for this."

As if Chat Noir wasn't shocked enough by this girl, he almost choked on his own breath for a second time today. "What?! How do you...how can you be..."

"Look," started Victoria, "I know that those weird villains that always pop up are created by people getting possessed because they're mad or upset or some shit like that. Henry was _devastated_ when Alexa dumped him, he genuinely loved her for some reason AND she was the first victim. And now we've have twelve other girls who are all versions of Alexa: pretty on the outside and ugly on the inside. It makes sense."

Chat Noir started thinking about what she said. It _did_ make sense, if Henry was as upset as Victoria describe then he would have been easy pickings for Hawk Moth's akumas. Plus it would make sense that his first victim would be the very person who caused his anger and frustration. But why the other girls? Did he really hate his ex that much that he would attack others that resemble her. Then again it's better than him attacking random civilians like other akuma villains. Then he remembers something Ladybug told him this afternoon.

"Do you have a picture of Henry?" asked Chat Noir, "Anything recent would help."

Victoria pulled out her cell phone and started rummaging through her photo gallery. "This was the last pic Alexa send me of Henry and her. Something about him buying her some expensive necklace worth 5K or something." She pulled up the image of her sister wearing an expensive diamond rivière necklace with a smug look on her face that reminded him of Chloe.

Standing next to her, with his arm around her shoulders, was Henry. Henry was a fairly average looking male: brown hair, brown eyes, average height, average built with a kind smile. The image seemed so fake, while Henry was happily staring at the camera, love shining through his eyes, Alexa seemed so detached from him, too busy posing in, what Adrien assumed to be, a seductive stance with one of her hands fingering her necklace.

"As you can tell," said Victoria, her bitterness returning, "Alexa's true love in that picture seems to be that necklace. She barely even acknowledges Henry unless his wallet is open. She even asked me how to crop out his image after she broke up with him."

That's when he saw it. Around Henry's neck was a heart-shaped pendant handing from a chain. "What's this pendant around his neck?" Chat asked, pointing a clawed finger to the object.

"Oh that? Henry told me that his father gave it too him when he went off for college," she replied, "Said it was to bring 'good luck in love'. Too bad it didn't work, right? Otherwise he would have met a nice girl instead of my sister."

The pendant didn't look like the one that Ladybug had describe but he knew from experience that akumas can change and morph objects they possess at will. In any case, the necklace and Henry's emotional turmoil hint to a possible akuma possession. If Henry was indeed the Parisian Incubus then...what? While knowing the identity of the akuma-victim was great and help locate the akuma-possessed item, it didn't exactly help with locating him. Chat Noir turned to Victoria who pulled back her phone and started flicking through her stuff.

"I know this may seem like much but do you think you know where Henry could be? Any places he liked or frequent?" Chat Noir questioned.

Victoria was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "I don't know exactly where he could be but I do know that Henry was studying to become a teacher. High school or college, those were his choice of teaching position. He worked at different high schools as a instructor's aid and interned at two university for teaching positions. Henry is crazy smart and knows a lot of different subjects, got straight A's and was known as the teacher's favorite."

Chat Noir froze at that new information. Thinking back on the list of victims, he realized all the girls either attended high schools or universities but they didn't know how they met their dates! Ladybug and Chat Noir had always assumed that the Parisian Incubus stalked his prey outside, on the streets. It made much more sense if the Parisian Incubus had infiltrated a school! As a teacher or student, the akuma could go about unnoticed, get closer to the female student body, select a target and latch onto them without anyone being the wiser!

He had to tell Ladybug about this! "Thanks so much for the information," said Chat Noir, "We'll be in touch."

Before he left the room, Victoria called out through the doorway. "Hey! I know I said some terrible things about my sisters and the victims but...even if they did terrible things, they didn't deserve this." She waved her hand towards the still form of Alexandra, "If it is Henry that's doing this, can you...not hurt him TOO badly? He's a good guy, he would never do this...normally anyway."

Chat Noir smiled, "Don't worry. We just want to stop him and purify him before anyone else gets hurts."

 oOoOoOoOoOo

"Great! Now we have more than half of our essay done," smiled Hector, clicking 'SAVE' on the document.

"Yeah..." yawned Marinette.

Hector laughed a bit. "Sorry, I've kept you up too long. I noticed how tired you were but didn't want to say anything," he started to remove his USP from Marinette's computer and picked up his bag, "Thanks again for letting me in."

"No, no, I'm sorry for dumping all the work on you," apologize Marinette, swaying a bit as she got up, "It's the least I could do. Here, let me escort you ou..."

Marinette stumbled and tripped over her feet. Hector grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, preventing her from falling flat on her face. She didn't have enough strength to push Hector off. Heck, she barely had enough strength to stand on her own two feet! The Swiss boy scooped her limp body up in his arms and carried her up the stairs towards her bed. Strangely enough, the movement felt familiar to Marinette, as if this scenario happened before. She couldn't place where this scene could have possibly happen but her mind kept screaming ' **DANGER!** **DANGER!** ' over and over in her head.

"Here," whispered Hector, tucking her into bed, "I'll let myself out. You just rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

She laid there, hearing Hector's footstep fade as he exited through the trap door. Marinette could faintly hear her parent's voice wishing the boy a goodnight and to stay safe. Half an hour later, the entire flat went silent. Still too tired to change out into her pajamas, Marinette decided that she'd shower in the morning and wear another set of clothes. Tikki flew out of her hiding place and landed on Marinette's hair.

"Marinette, maybe you should skip class tomorrow," offered the tiny kwami, "You're too pale and weak! You almost passed out from standing!"

"Can't..." groaned Marinette, shifting to her side, "Physic...review...tomorrow..."

Soft snores passed through the bluenette's lips as she fell asleep. Tikki didn't even bother trying to wake her up, the girl was passed out cold, plus she needed the sleep anyway. Again, Tikki was alone in the dark, the only sounds were the occasional car driving by or a pedestrian walking by. The red and black-dotted spirit flew down towards Marinette's window and nearly froze in shock before ducking inside the room. Peeking her head just a bit out, her eyes confirmed what she previously thought she had seen.

Hector Boucher, the Swiss transfer student, was standing across the street between the school and Marinette's home. His eyes seemed to be locked up onto Marinette's window. Tikki was confused as to why he was here so late, especially after he just left her home nearly an hour ago. Was he trying to see if she was still awake? Did he forget something in her room? Tikki took a quick sweep around the room, she couldn't spot any belongings that could be Hector's.

Taking another peek outside, she was shocked again to see him gone! Flying near the center of the window, Tikki tried to find where Hector had gone but couldn't. How could he have left so fast without her seeing anything? Shad only turned away for a few seconds! Tikki started to wonder if she was imagining things, thinking she was still too tired from before, but she brushed that thought away from her mind. She knew what she saw.

Tikki started to see why Marinette was so uncomfortable being around Hector. He was a strange one, seemingly too perfect, always smiling even in the worst scenarios, plus the late night watcher-moment she had just witness. Maybe she was being too critical, many people had weird quirks. But whatever the case, Tikki was going to keep a closer eye on Hector Boucher as Marinette couldn't at the moment. Tikki didn't understand why, but a cold chill ran up her spine as she snuggled up to Marinette, falling asleep next to her charge.

 oOoOoOoOoOo

_Looking up at her dark window, he'd realized how easy it would have been to climb up into her room, through the unlocked trap door on her roof and jump in. He was tempted to drain her tonight, no witness, no chance for her to escape and no one to bother or disturb him as he worked his magic. Plus it would be less messier then draining her in an alley, cleaner too, and a guarantee that someone would find her body the next morning. Looking around, he didn't spot anyone else nearby, no lights on in the flat and the streets were deserted after that taxi zoomed by. Why not finish the job early and go after Ladybug and Chat Noir the next day?_

_Before he could take a step near the resident, he saw it. Something red flickering near Marinette's window. He froze. Was she still awake? Was there someone up there with her? Had they seen him? His body shapeshifted into wispy fog and disappeared eight blocks down the road. Once in an alleyway, he transformed back, slamming his fist in the wall, letting out a frustrated growl._

_'Damn it!' he hissed, 'So close!'_

_Whoever or whatever that thing was had, for sure, seen him. Sure, he could just tell Marinette that he thought he left something and wanted to see if she was still awake, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was another lost chance of draining Marinette. First Chat Noir, that annoying feline, and now this unknown window person? He couldn't even tell if what he saw was a man or a woman. His patience was wearing thin, his control was waning and his temper was reaching its breaking point. The Voice was getting angrier, the screaming in his head got worst._

_"What did I say?" growled the Voice, exerting his control over him by possessing his hand and began choking his neck, "Don't. Waste. My. Time."_

_"A...little...longer..." he gasped, using his other hand to removed his possessed hand from choking him, "Give me...a little...more...time...she's almost...drained..."_

_Relief flooded him as his hand, previously choking him went limp and he fell to his knees, gasping for air._

_"Your deadline is still in place," the Voice whispered, "You only have until Sunday. If you fail, say goodbye to your powers and your life."_

_Fear replaced anger as a cold chill ran across his veins. He staggered onto his feet and slowly made his way towards his apartment, keeping to the shadows as to avoid the police patrolling the area. The city wide curfew was still in place due to his crimes and he wanted to avoid detection from anyone. Despite his power, it was hard creating new bodies and appearances unless he had a set amount of energy which he collected after every new victim he had, plus some he saved for later. The wispy fog he created was easy since it was shapeless and required very little energy._

_He nearly had enough energy and power to go toe-to-toe with Ladybug and Chat Noir, enough that he would still be up and fighting when the two superheroes' time limit was up. Even Ladybug's Lucky Charm wouldn't be enough to stop him nor Chat Noir's Cataclysm. Unlike the akumas before, he study the two, knew their powers, knew they possessed a time limit, and knew if they used their powers too early it would drain their Miraculous._

_"So close..." he whispered, now in the confines of his apartment, "Just wait little bug. You'll join the others soon."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene! Wow that was quick (writing this chapter I mean)! I'm getting a lot of offers about beta reading but I promise Nefres that she would be the beta reader for O & B, once she contacts me again that is! Love you Nefres! And I hope ever is enjoying the last few hours of 2015, unless you're reading this after midnight then HAPPY NEW YEARS! If there are any grammar errors you find annoying, please just put them in the review and I'll fix them ASAP!
> 
> And for the announcement: We are pass the mid-way point of O&B. That's right, the fic is almost completed! But I am still on a writing spree and I have tons of new plots and ideas of Miraculous fics I want to write, I just have no idea which one to do first. So...next chapter I'm starting a poll with all of the Miraculous plots I have swirling in my head and I'm going to let you guys and girls decide which one I'll start next. Now the poll is going to be on both my FF profile and on tumblr so you all can vote multiple times and for muliple fic ideas. The poll will go on until I finish Oleanders & Belladonnas, then I'll tally up the votes on both sites, announce the winning idea and start working on it. Hopefully this will be a good New Years gift.
> 
> Anyway, Read & Review and HAPPY NEW YEARS!


	10. Moribund

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that if you don't sleep enough you start to hallucinate?
> 
> If anyone has done research on sleep deprivation, you will know that one of the most common side effects is hallucinations. What Hector does, draining the life force from people, is akin to sleep deprivation which is why Marinette falls alseep so much. Also Incubus - dream demon, you get the point. Meaning Marinette is going through something dangerous in this chapter. But is it really all in her head? Read and find out (my first teaser for a chapter, just wanted to explain something before your read on).

_Whoever said that lucid dreaming was wonderful and made you feel weightless should have been shot. Marinette felt anything but wonderful or weightless. Hell, she felt as if a ten ton boulder was strapped around her neck. She could tell she was dreaming because she couldn't remember at any point the Parisian trees or grass being shades of blue and black or the sky turning a sickly gray color. In fact, all of Paris had been painted in dark, depressing and sickly colors._

_Marinette wasn't even in her bed, or her home for that matter! She was in the middle of some random street, in her pajamas with no people in sight. That was another thing, there was no people! No sound for that matter! No sounds of shoes hitting concrete, people talking, birds chirping, water splashing in the Seine, nothing. It was if someone pressed the 'MUTE' button on the world. Marinette never remembered her dreams being this weird, or disturbing to say the least, but since she wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon, might as well explore it._

_'Wow, this is creepy,' thought Marinette as she passed by several deserted streets._

_This went on for a few hours, or minutes in the real world. Marinette wished Tikki was in her dream, someone to talk to and give this dreary dream some color too. Before long, Marinette found herself in a hauntingly familiar spot. She was in arrondissement 8, at least the dream version of it, and was staring down the alleyway where Kathy Simon was found. For whatever reason, her legs started moving towards the spot where Kathy's body was found. Closer and closer, Marinette felt like her heart was going to leap up out of her throat until she was facing the exact spot the victim was found._

_It wasn't Kathy lying on the ground, no, far worse. The crumpled body was that of a fully jointed, department store mannequin made to look just like Kathy Simon. From the redheaded wig down to the blue-painted fingernails, the doll looked exactly like the girl, realistically so had it not been for the waxy skin and emotionless eyes. Marinette also noted that the mannequin was position the same way Kathy was found in. Thoroughly creeped out, Marinette bolted out of the alley._

_'Okay, maybe Tikki was right,' thought Marinette as her feet led her into another alleyway, 'Maybe I have been to obsess with this case.'_

_As Marinette ran, her feet tripped over a large lump laying in the middle of the alley. She hissed in pain as she landed harshly on her bare arms. Another annoyance of lucid dreaming: you can feel pain even if it's not real. Getting up, Marinette turned angrily at the thing she tripped over and nearly screamed. Next to her was another fully jointed mannequin laying crumpled on the ground, but this one bored a striking resemblance to Amanda Brisset._

_Marinette booked it out of the alleyway towards, well she didn't know where but she just had to get away from those damn mannequins. 'Okay, Tikki IS right! I'm too obsessed with the case,' thought Marinette as the scenery around her start to turn into a film noir, 'Got to wake up!'_

_Unfortunately, Marinette couldn't wake up. For the next half hour, the bluenette's dream kept leading her towards each and every location the Sleeping Beauties' bodies were found in and in every spot were realistic mannequins that each resembled the girls. Even locations that were halfway across the city she had somehow found herself at in mere seconds. The last straw was when Marinette found herself at the location of the first victim, Alexandra Roux. Her body was found tossed careless across the street where cars could have easily run her over. Although Alexandra hadn't been run over or hit by passing motorists, the mannequin depicting her had tire tracks all over her body._

_She hadn't realize that she was screaming until her throat started to ache. By the time she finally stopped screaming, she had somehow made it towards her own home. Her family's bakery looked dreary and dead, the display desserts and baked goods were gray and looked unappealing. Thankfully the front door was unlock so Marinette had no trouble getting inside and dead-bolting the entrance and closing the window._

_"Marinette..." the blunette nearly jumped out of her skin after she heard that. A faint whisper of her name echoed throughout the building, sending chills up her spine. She couldn't place the gender of the voice as it seemed garbled and fuzzy._

_"Mom? Dad?" Marinette called out, sincerely hoping her dream wasn't going to give her anymore frightening experiences, "Is that you?"_

_"Marinette..." it whispered again, "Please come upstairs."_

_Marinette really didn't want to go upstairs, mainly because her entire body started shaking uncontrollably, but her legs started towards the back of the bakery and up the stairwell. She kept calling out multiple times for her parents, Alya, her classmates, literally anyone that voice could belong to but the voice just kept beckoning Marinette upstairs. The voice was familiar, she knew that, but for the life of her she couldn't place where she had heard it._

_Her living room was bathed in the same color scheme as it was outside, nothing but black, white and shades of gray, yet there was no one in sight. The voice called out to her again and her stomach sank as she realized it was coming from her room. Someone was calling for her in room. "Tikki?" Marinette squeaked as the steps creaked underneath her foot, "I-is that you?"_

_Carefully opening the trapdoor, trying not to make the gears squeak, Marinette peeked into her room to see...nothing. Nobody was in her room, none that she could see anyway. Climbing into her room, the French-Asian girl started searching throughout her room, up on her bed, on her balcony and anywhere a person could be hiding but found nothing. She started calming down, trying to steady her rapidly beating heart. In the corner of her eyes, she saw something gleaming on her circular window. 'Tikki?' she thought as she came closer to the window, trying to find a familiar floating red dot in the air. Taking a glance out, Marinette's eyes widened as she spotted a silhouette on the other side of the road from her home, staring up at her window._

_Pushing herself back, Marinette immediately started pushing furniture, boxes, anything that had weight on top of her trapdoor. Taking another glance outside and, to her horror, the silhouette was gone. She could hear footsteps coming from below, climbing up the stairs and slamming themselves against the opening. Marinette stumbled to climb up her stairs and onto the balcony. Once outside, she shut the trapdoor, locking it just as she heard the crash of the entrance door fly open, the objects that were piled on thrown across the room._

_"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" chanted Marinette, trying to slap herself awake._

_She was trapped up here. No fire escape, no Tikki, no passerby to hear her screams for help. She took a quick look down from the railings, she was four stories up and if she jumped she likely end up with one or both of her legs broken. Turning around, hoping to find something to block the balcony trapdoor, Marinette nearly screamed as the thing appeared right in front of her._

_Ashen skin, glowing red eyes and elongated fingers with clawed nails were all she could make out, yet that alone almost made Marinette passed out in fright. His entire framed loomed over her, hunched over her, cornering her, giving her no room to move let alone run. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the railings, trying to make out more features, but the more she looked the more fuzzy and indistinguishable it became. Opening it's mouth, did it even have a mouth, he utter his words, "Hello Marinette."_

_If Marinette hadn't felt faint before she did now when she heard that! It was was same voice, this thing was the one calling her! But that left so many questions. How had it gotten over to the other side of the street? How did it call her from inside her home? Was it even in her home when it called? All these question ran through her mind as she stared back at it, almost hyperventilating. Her eyes undilate as it raised one of it's elongated arm, claws ready and swung it down on her. Marinette shrieked and tumbled over the railing and towards the ground._

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Marinette's body thankfully only fell onto the tiny section of floor between her bed and the railing and had not rolled over it, that would have lead to a six foot drop onto the second floor below. She wrestled out of her covers and gasped for air, her eyes rapidly scanning the room. "Tikki!" she croaked out, "Tikki, where are you?!"

"Marinette?" the blunette nearly cried in relief as the tiny kwami flew up towards her, "Are you alright? You're shaking all over and you're covered in sweat!"

Snatching the tiny kwami out of the air without warning, Marinette cuddled Tikki to her cheek, tears pouring down her cheeks. Tikki was confused, unable to keep up with Marinette's blubbering, only able to catch the words 'bad dream', 'mannequins', 'something calling me', 'outside the window' and 'falling over railing.' Tikki quickly shushed Marinette, telling her to take a deep breath and to calm herself. Marinette did just that and manage to steady her heart rate and calm herself down.

Her clothes, the ones she hadn't changed out of yesterday, clung to her sweat-soaked skin, making it uncomfortable and gross. Her hair was a matted mess, blood shot eyes and bags underneath them, despite the long sleep she had. Marinette made a disgusted sound and decided to take an early bath, not wanting to head to school sweaty, smelling and overall gross. It was 6:01 a.m. so Marinette was quiet to sneak into the bathroom, leaving a plate of palmiers for Tikki to snack on for breakfast.

Peeling the sweaty clothes from her skin, Marinette took a long, hot shower, roughly scrubbing both her hair and body. The steamy water manage to soothe her from her nightmare, but the image of those crumpled up mannequin-victims and that looming, red-eyed beast still haunted her. What did it mean? Was her brain telling her that she was too obsessed with the case? Was there a clue she missed that her brain was telling her about? Was that beast the Parisian Incubus? Shaking her head and wrapping herself in a towel, Marinette started drying her hair and getting ready for the day.

"Maybe I should take a break from the case. At least for a little while," muttered Marinette, "After school, I'll go with Alya to that new movie she wanted to see. Yeah, maybe I just need to relax a bit."

Since the weather was changing drastically, she traded in her sweaty clothes for a clean pair of jeans, pleather boots and a thick, knit sweater. The sun had just peaked over the horizon and she could hear her parents below waking up and opening shop. Thankfully, Sabine had told Marinette to prepare her own breakfast as her and Tom had a big morning order and had to get it ready for delivery. Marinette yelled back that she will and waited until she couldn't hear her mother's footsteps anymore before she went down and started snacking on some croissant.

"Shouldn't you eat more?" asked Tikki, "You look like you're going to pass out."

"I'll be okay," replied Marinette, giving a weak smile, "Some fresh air and a little walking might perk me up."

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Tikki had to bite Marinette's finger a second time in order to snap her back to life, preventing her head from hitting the table. Somehow, neither Mme. Bustier or Hector had notice Marinette's sleepy state, both too focus on the classroom project. Since winter break was nearing, Mme. Bustier decided it would be best to review with partners, thus the entire class was put into pairs as handed out review sheets with questions for them to answer. Again, Marinette was paired with Hector and every once in a while he would tap her on the arm to get her attention, sometimes grabbing at her arm which really woke her up. Still, Hector hadn't taken into account her tired expression.

But Alya had and had kept shooting glances back at her as she worked with Nino. If she had look bad yesterday, then today she looked flat out dreadful! Dark circles under her eyes, her skin a sickly white, and her normally poofy pigtails were now limp and flat. Marinette herself was surprise that she even manage to get out of bed, much less get dressed and out the door. She had to sneak out the side entrance to avoid her parents. One look at her and her mother would had dragged her by the ear back inside and straight to bed, calling the doctor while she did so. But her physic review was much more important, plus Mme. Mendeliev was a beast when it came to her exams, especially the finals. Unfortunately for Marinette, Physics was her last class of the day and she still had an hour until the Lunch period then Math and Physical Education before Physics.

' _No problem, I can make it_ ,' thought Marinette, trying to will herself awake, then pulled two chocolate truffles from her bag and popping them in her mouth, ' _Maybe a little sugar rush can help_.'

"Marinette," said Hector, grabbing her hand, gosling her out of her thoughts, "Question eight: who were the four members of the Patron-Minette?"

"Uh..." stuttered Marinette, trying to stifle her yawn, "Babet...uh..."

Hector laughed and finished her sentence, "Babet, Claquesous, Montparnasse, and Gueulemer."

"Right...sorry, guess I'm not really focus today," replied Marinette sheepishly.

"I can tell," Hector looked a bit sadden, "It's my fault. I kept you up last night when I visited, didn't I?"

"Oh no, no, it wasn't you," waved off Marinette, "I just didn't sleep well. Hehe..."

Behind her, Chloe stared daggers at her. Although she had been paired with Adrien, she hated the fact that Hector was with Marinette. She had tried to get Mme. Bustier to allow a 3-tier group with her, Adrien and Hector, but was refused and told to finish the review. Unfortunately, Chloe was never known for doing _any_ sort of work, thus leaving Adrien to finish up all the questions for them both. He didn't even try to get Chloe to help, he knew her too well and didn't want her busting out the waterworks so early in the day.

Literature class ended without incident, Mme. Bustier never catching Marinette's exhausted state. Though Chloe couldn't help a few snide comments when the instructor's back was turned but Marinette was too tired to even pay any attention to the spoiled girl. Once Chloe realized that the bluenette was too out of it to even be affected by her insults, she huffed and walked away, pulling Hector and Adrien by the arm. Adrien and Nino couldn't help but look back at Marinette who looked ready to drop at any moment. Hector, however, didn't even give a second glance, just hugged her and said he would see her in history class. Marinette was so drained at that point that she didn't even bother trying to push him off. Strangely enough, she felt even more tired after that event. Alya grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her towards the campus entrance and towards her family's bakery.

"Okay, I've kept my mouth shut for most of the morning but I've had enough," stated Alya, "You are _way_ too tired and look like you're going to drop dead any second. I'm taking you home and telling your folk to call in sick for you."

"No!" Marinette exclaimed, wrenching her hand away from the blogger, "I can't! Mme. Mendeliev will kill me if I miss her review for the final. Plus, I need to be there to take notes."

"I can take notes for you," offered Alya.

Marinette stared at her dryly. "No offense, Alya, but your grade in Physic isn't exactly the greatest. Plus your notes always ramble off from the topic to theories about Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Hey! At least I'm passing the class," replied the blogger, pouting a bit.

"I'll be fine," expressed Marinette, "Maybe a cup of coffee will help. Let me get my bag that you didn't let me take after dragging me away from class."

Alya looked down and realized that Marinette only had her little pink purse. "Whoops! My bad."

Marinette shook her head in good humor before re-entering the building, Alya saying that she'll wait for her outside. Everyone, students and staff, had already left the campus and where on their way to lunch so Marinette didn't have to worry about bumping into anyone as she stumbles a bit into class, retrieving her pack. Before exiting, she paused for a bit, leaning against Adrien and Nino's table, rubbing her temple as a headache seemed to spread.

"Marinette, are you okay?" asked Tikki popping her head from the purse, a worried expression painted her face, "Please just go home, you can barely walk without stumbling!"

"I'm fine!" Marinette hissed, the stress doing nothing but agitating the headache, "I just need some coffee to wake me up!"

Pushing Tikki back into her purse, she carefully made her way down the stairs. Her fingers gripped the railing as she tried to steady her footing the further she descended. Halfway down, her vision got blurry and her balance started to sway, causing Marinette to sit herself down the stairs, taking deep breaths and trying to soothe that budding headache. Before she could get up, she heard an annoyed scoff from the top of the stairs. Groaning, Marinette thought it was Chloe, forgetting something in her locker and, seeing Marinette in her pathetic state, was about to go on one of her tirades of insults when she looked up and was shocked.

It wasn't Chloe looking down at her in disgust, but rather someone she recognized, someone that should have been lying in a hospital bed, comatosed and unable to move. Alexandra Roux loomed over her, a scowl painted on her face, eyes gleaming with anger and dressed the same way she was found: black jeans, red t-shirt, wedges and several expensive jewelry decorating her. Marinette glanced around the room, hoping that there was someone that was seeing what she was seeing. No one but her and 'Alexandra' were in the building. The French-Asian girl started to think that her exhaustion was finally getting to her.

' _A-am I dreaming_?' panicked Marinette, ' _D-did I fall asleep again_?'

"Are you just going to sit there like a moron and let yourself become another one of his victim?" hissed 'Alexandra, "Or are you really that naive and foolish not to realize what is happening?"

Marinette didn't know how to respond to what she was seeing and hearing. ' _Am I going crazy_?' she questioned, rubbing her head, hoping her hallucination, if that what she's experiencing, would disappear.

"Hey! Quit ignoring me! I know you can hear and see me!" 'Alexandra' yelled, "You'd have to be since you're around him! Wake up, sweetie, before it's too late!"

"Who?" Marinette whispered, not knowing why she was answering a hallucination.

'Alexandra' threw her hands up in relief. "Finally! She speaks," she said before looking down at Marinette, "Listen to me! Get the fuck away from Henry or whatever he's calling himself now and get as far away from him as possible! Do you hear me!? You're going to die if you stay with him!"

Freaked out by the hallucinations, the warnings and the fact that she could barely keep steady on her feet, Marinette tried to drag herself down the stairs as fast as she could but crumbled onto a step. 'Alexandra' groaned and took a few steps down with her until she was only two steps away from the bluenette. "Don't walk away from me! Don't ignore me!" 'Alexandra' yelled.

' _She's not real, she's not real, just get away and get to Alya_...' thought Marinette as she tried to climb down but the stairs seemed endless.

"Haven't you notice? You're tired all the time, you're skin is paler, you can hardly stand on your own two feet?" questioned the hallucination, "You can see yourself getting weaker and weaker, I know you know. He's draining all your life force and you don't even realize it! Now, tell me what person would want to drain other people's energy? What evil little bug craves the life force of young girls? Wake up and get away from him!"

"What are you talking about?" Marinette gasped, "Are you talking about the Parisian Incubus? Are you saying he's after me? That can't be...the Incubus only goes after spoiled girls...he dates them and...HEY! What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Marinette!" Tikki whispered from her bag, unable to unclasp the lock, "What's going on? Who are you talking to?"

'Alexandra' had grabbed hold of her upper arm in a vise grip. Marinette tried to wriggle her arm free but couldn't muster the strength to even get up. The brunette glared down at her and dug her nails in Marinette's skin. She couldn't help but yelp when the older girl's nail drew blood. Did that mean she wasn't a hallucination? Or was Marinette really going crazy? Marinette clutched her head as her headache got worse.

"Henry has to be stop! But you seem too stubborn and eager to please everyone then to do what's right," hissed 'Alexandra', "Everything and everyone will suffer because you refuse to look at what's right in front of you! Hate to do this...actually, no I don't! Because this is the only way to get you away from him and knock some sense into you! Say night-night!"

Without any warning, the hallucination of Alexandra Roux tossed Marinette over the railing. She couldn't even get enough air in her to scream as her limp body was thrown into the air and fell down six feet. Six feet didn't feel like much, but when you're falling down it seems like an eternity. Marinette never registered Tikki's screams, still in her purse and couldn't see what had just transpired. All Marinette could register was her head hitting the concrete below, the searing pain that exploded in her head and the darkness that soon engulfed her.

One last glance up and 'Alexandra' was already fading away. "Trust me," she said, "You'll thank me for this. At least you'll be safe. For now anyway."

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Adrien could list a few things he found truly horrifying: death, any sort of gore or torture in movies, the possibility of his father setting up an arrange marriage to Chloe, those were just a few. But after he and Nino return to the school to retrieve the DJ's new mixtape, Adrien could now add another section to his list: the sound of Marinette's head hitting the concrete. He barely even registered what had happen, all he could see was a flash of pink and black in his peripheral vision and the sickening crack of a skull hitting the ground.

Another thing that was horrifying: seeing Marinette, the sweet, shy and selfless girl in class, lay crumpled on the ground. Adrien didn't realize that Nino was yelling for help or that he was running towards her, kneeling next to her and trying to wake her up. Marinette's skin was pure white now, no color, and Adrien felt dread build up as he put two shaking fingers on her neck, trying to feel for a pulse as they were taught during a health section in science class. There was a pulse, faint and delayed but it was still there.

Everything happened so slowly after that. Alya came bursting in after hearing Nino screaming, nearly screaming herself after seeing Marinette's state. Adrien wasn't sure who had called 112, it couldn't have been Alya as she had been too frantic in putting herself in Adrien's place and cradling Marinette's body, but an ambulance had arrived in mere moments. Somehow, the entire student body had came rushing back onto the campus, crowding around the entrance of the school, watching the unconscious bluenette as she was lifted onto a stretcher and placed in the back of the ambulance. Alya begged the paramedics to allow her to ride with Marinette, stating she was her 'cousin' and pleading with them until they allowed her to ride up front.

After the ambulance had left with the two girls, the entire student body broke out in a frenzy of talks. "Oh my god, what happen?!" asked one student.

"It's the bakery's daughter," answered a female student, "Apparently she got hurt."

"Hurt nothing! She fell off the railing!" yelled another.

More students started chiming in. "I overheard one of the paramedics saying that she had cracked her skull open! That there was blood everywhere!"

"I didn't see any blood," hissed a senior student, "Maybe she's just tired and passed out."

"You don't call 112 if you passed out," replied a snobby voice.

"Do you think she tired to commit suicide?" That questioned seemed to spark even more rumors.

Adrien never felt so disgusted in his life. Suicide? Marinette? That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard! And yet everyone was treating it as if it was fact! Nino came up from behind him, tapping him on his shoulder and pointing across the street to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. Sabine and Tom had come outside just as the ambulance turned the corner. Despite the distant, Adrien could see the tears streaming down Mrs. Cheng's face while Tom had a mix of horror and fear on his face. The bakery was quickly closed and the couple flagged down a cab, no doubt heading for the hospital.

"Ugh! What is with all this noise?" sneered Chloe as she, Hector and Sabrina walked back onto campus, "And why was I told that lunch ended early? I didn't even get my dessert!"

One of the students replied to Chloe's question and the blonde girl immediately snorted. "Leave to Marinette to cause such a fuss over nothing," Chloe scoffed, "She's probably not even hurt and just wants attention. Can you believe how selfish Marinette is being, Sabrina?"

"Yep, totally selfish," agreed Sabrina.

"Marinette got hurt, Chloe. That isn't selfish!" Nino growled, "She could have gotten killed!"

"Oh please! She's just calling out for attention and, I have to say, it's pretty pathetic," Chloe said, "Jumping off the railing like that. How dumb can she be?"

"You think she fell off on purpose?!" Nino hissed. Chloe was really lucky Alya wasn't here, nothing would have stopped the blogger from attacking the blonde after that comment. Mayor's daughter or not.

Chloe didn't bother replying as she made her way back into the school, Sabrina in tow. The crowd stared to dissipate as the school staff told them to go back to class as lunch had already ended. Adrien, Nino and Hector were the only ones that still stayed out in the front. While Nino and Adrien were trying to see whether they should finish their classes or leave and visit Marinette, Hector stood silently, a blank expression on his face.

"I'm going to get her flowers," stated Hector, walking towards the exit.

"Huh?" asked Nino, remembering that Hector was still with them, "What'd you say?"

"I'm going to visit Marinette in the hospital," repeated Hector, his voice monotonous, "Do you mind taking notes for me?"

"Uh...sure," replied Nino, "Though it's best that you borrow Adrien's, I'm not the best note-taker."

Hector didn't hear him, or if he did he didn't bother acknowledge it and turned the corner leaving the campus. Adrien couldn't help but notice how weird that was. Hector didn't show much concern when it came to Marinette, someone he claimed to have a crush on. Adrien shook his head, how could he think that?! Hector was one of the nicest person he has met, had to be in order to put up with Chloe.

_'Maybe he's just in shock_ ,' thought Adrien, walking back to class, his appetite long gone, ' _I'll visit them both after school. Maybe I should bring flowers too_.'

School went by painfully slow, mainly because no one was focused on the lessons and the teachers knew it. Everyone was still gossiping about Marinette's fall, making up ridiculous rumors of what could have happen in those few minutes she was alone in the school before her fall. Many were standing by that she had fainted and fell off, stating her tired demeanor in class as evidence. The more cynical side were convinced that she was pushed off. One or two tried to pin it on Chloe, but dropped it once they realized she wasn't near the building when it happen. As to who pushed her, no one had a clue as Marinette was a sweetheart and didn't have a nasty bone in her body.

Adrien's leg kept shaking in impatience, so much so that Plagg popped his head out of his bag to tell him to quit it, that the noise and vibrations were keeping him awake. Mme. Mendeleiev, who was nearing her breaking point and had already yelled at four students in the passed hour, tried to review for her finals. Unfortunately, the students weren't paying attention despite all the warnings and threats she made and simply gave up, passed out the review sheet and told the student to get out of class, thus school ended early. Nino and Adrien immediately headed for the hospital, much to the displeasure of Chloe who wanted Adrien to go shopping with her again.

"Has she called back?" Adrien asked.

Nino shook his head, "No. I've tried texting Alya but she hasn't responded. The only thing she sent was the name of the hospital Marinette was taken to."

Adrien patted Nino on the back as they piled into his limo and told Gorilla to head for the hospital Marinette was taken to. "You think we should buy some flowers for her?" asked Adrien.

"Sure," agreed Nino. "There's a Get-Well shop in the hospital. If you want, we can stop by and buy some flowers and a card for Marinette there."

Adrien nodded, leaning back against his seat. Silence was shared between the boys during the ride to the hospital, the only sound being Nino's fingers constantly texting Alya, trying to get a reply. Adrien couldn't help but worry about the shy bluenette, praying in his head that whatever happen to her wasn't damaging and that she would make a speedy recovery. Seeing Marinette lying there on the ground, unconscious, reminded him of the Sleeping Beauties victims, all lying in their own hospital beds, practically dead to the world.

"Hey!" Plagg whispered from the bag, "Don't worry so much, you're making me feel bad."

Glancing up, Adrien was relieved to see Nino with his headphones on, listing to some of his favorite mixes he'd play when he was feeling down. "Sorry, I'm just worried that one of my friends fell from a six foot drop and nearly cracked her skull open," Adrien hissed, "Can't you be a little concern?"

"I am," replied Plagg, "But the fall isn't what you should be worried about."

Adrien looked at Plagg in confusion, "What do you mean?"

The cat-like kwami shook his head, "Not here. Wait until we're in her room, then I'll confirm it."

Adrien didn't say anymore and just stared out the window, watching the scenery pass by. Five minutes later, the limo finally arrived at the address that Alya had sent to them. Stepping out, Adrien froze and a cold chill ran down his spine, his demeanor went unnoticed by Nino and the driver. He knew this hospital, or rather Chat Noir did as he made two visits to it, one with Ladybug and one to meet Victoria Roux. Marinette was taken to the hospital housing the Sleeping Beauties victims.

 oOoOoOoOoOo

_Annoyance coursed through his veins as he made his way to the hospital. Of course Alexandra had to make trouble just when he was almost finished with Marinette. One of the downsides of his powers, besides the amount of energy needed to craft bodies, was the intermingling of the energies. As he collected their life-force, their 'essences' still remained attached to their energies, still giving the girls access to their energies even when he used it. During his time with his fourth victim, Alexandra's energy had manage to manifest itself and tried to communicate with his victim. Thankfully, she was too weak at the time and his gullible target chalked it up to drinking too much._

_How Alexandra even managed to do that was a feat itself, the girl was far too lazy and entitled to do anything on her own, much less lift a finger to help anyone else. Then again this could be just her selfish desire to wake up and get back at him, it wouldn't be the first time. Sadly for her, each and every one of his target ignored her or thought they were seeing things after too much alcohol. He didn't really do anything to stop or prevent the manifestation, he enjoyed seeing the look of frustration and anger that passed through Alexandra's face. He'd laugh sometimes, which pissed her off even more. Plus, it was only Alexandra, none of the other girls could do it, so why worry?_

_Unfortunately, Marinette wasn't like the other girls. She wasn't so quick to brush off something like Alexandra. And now that Alexandra was apparently strong enough to toss one of his victim over a railing, he knew he was in trouble. She was getting through to Marinette, he could tell, trying to warn her about him. Did she know about his deadline? Was she trying to intervene on his plan long enough for the Voice to get fed up and remove his powers? Who's to say? Luckily for him, Marinette was heading towards the same hospital that all his victim were in. 'Guess I need to pay Alexandra another visit,' he thought. Killing two birds with one stone, if he was lucky, Marinette wouldn't be released and would have to stay overnight._

_As he arrived at the hospital, he couldn't help but smile at the memories it brought him. He promised not to return to his victims, but you know how memories could just pull someone in. And beside, he had to make sure Alexandra wouldn't pull another stunt like that again, though after seeing Marinette in her state, the bluenette would probably just think she's going crazy._

_"I'll kill you!" he rolled his eyes as Alexandra's voice continue to shriek in his head, usually he'd shut her out but he decided to let her vent, it would be the last time she does it for a long time, "Do you hear me?! I will kill you! When I get out of here I'll hire someone to finish you off. I'll make them cut off your limbs, send your decapitated head to your family..."_

_"Yes, yes, that's nice dear," he muttered walking into the building, "I guess I'll visit your room first."_

_"What..." her voice started to waver, going from outrage to flat out fear, "No...stay the hell away from me! Get away! Do you hear me? STAY BACK!"_

_He rolled his eyes as he waved at a few passing nurses, all who blushed when they saw him. Guess Marinette will have to wait a while longer, he still had a few loose ends to tie up. Time to see his ex again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was...a bit shorter than the last. I didn't want to fill it up with any unnecessary details or fillers and such. Anyway, like I said in my last chapter, I'm starting up a poll on which new Miraculous fanfic I should start next. Remember, I'm started the new fic AFTER I finish O & B.
> 
> Anyway: POLL IS UP!
> 
> To see the choices, I've post them up on my tumblr page, my username is dizzylizziewonderland. Read the choices (you can vote multiple choices) and vote either on the tumlr post or the poll on my FF profile. Or both if you can! I apologize for any guest readers, the polls on FF.net don't allow you to vote if you're a guess reader but if you have a tumblr profile you can on my tumblr post or, for Ao3 readers/writers, you may put your vote in your review. Anyway, I'll have the post up on tumblr by the time you finish this chapter. Thanks again for sticking by me. Only a few more chapters to go before O & B is completed.
> 
> Read, Review & Vote!


	11. Purgatory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slowly crawls out of the rock I've been writing under and hands out ch.11* - I'll just leave this here.
> 
> We're are nearing the climax people. Hopefully I don't screw up with the fight scenes in the next two-three chapters. Apologizes in advance, I'm not much of a fight-scene writer, so I'm praying it comes out good. I've also received lots of votes for which fanfic my readers want to see next so I'm real happy about that. I'll announce the winner after the end of O & B, plus post up the two runner ups that I'll write afterwards to save both me and my readers time in setting up another poll. Only a few more chapters before the end! Again, sorry this chapter isn't beta. If you see mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me about them in your reviews. On with the show:

_Marinette felt more annoyed than fear when she woke up in a black & white building. Again she had found herself being plunged into the dream world after her 'talk' with Alexandra. 'If you can call being tossed over a six foot railing as a talk,' thought Marinette as she pushed herself up._

_Instead of some random street, she was inside the Hotel Dieu hospital, the same one that housed all the Sleeping Beauties victims. Cream colored walls, colorful paintings and painted signs were all muted down in various hues of blacks, whites and grays. Even peering out the windows didn't do anything, her dream Paris was still in film noir landscape. No nurses or doctors were roaming around the halls but she could faintly hear female screams, yells and curses coming from, what Marinette recognized as, the coma-ward. Realizing that she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, Marinette steeled herself as she entered the coma ward._

_Once inside, the screams hit the bluenette at full force. And it wasn't just screaming, Marinette could hear the pounding on doors, the shattering of glass, furniture being tossed around and uncontrollable sobs. Each and every one of the doors that led to the Sleeping Beauties victim's rooms were closed, bolted shut from the outside and secured with a heavy wooden crossbar over the door, preventing anyone from leaving the room._

_Inching towards the nearest door, Marinette couldn't help but peek through the door lite. A bruised hand slammed itself against the window, causing Marinette to scream and jump back. Replacing the hand was a face, Marinette recognized her to be Tamara Harper, victim #2 and Alexandra Roux's best friend. Her blonde hair was frizzy and unkempt, her brown eyes bloodshot and streaming with tears, her skin pale and lips crack. Her eyes kept darting back and forth as she stared out the window, looking for something or someone. Had Tamara not seen her? Was the door lite's glass a two-way mirror?_

_"HEY!" Tamara yelled, "Is someone out there? Victor? Anyone?! Let me out! Please!"_

_'Victor? Was that her date's name? The Parisian Incubus?' thought Marinette._

_Marinette was about to yell back when another set of banging and screams emerge from behind her. The room across from Tamara Harper housed Sophia Labelle, who looked far from the glamorous party girl she once was. She was pounding away at the door, but instead of looking frighten and desperate, she looked pissed off. "ANTOINE!" she shrieked, her pitch hurting Marinette's eardrum, "Antoine, I know you're out there! This isn't funny! I demand to be released this instant!"_

_"Help! Someone please help!" Marinette walked further down the hallway to find Caitlyn Maddox's room, "Marcel are you out there? Please let me out! I promise I'll be good! I won't drink or do drugs or..."_

_Marinette kept walking down the hallway to find each and every victim of the Sleeping Beauties case all locked up. Many were crying, pleading to be let out while others were furious, demanding to be released and making threats. A few times Marinette tried to open the doors, but the crossbars were too heavy for her to lift and each door had multiple locks on it, making her attempts fruitless. She tried searching for keys or someway to remove the heavy beam but to no avail._

_"Are you done running around like a chicken with its head cut off?" Marinette turn to stare at Alexandra Roux's face through the door lite, "Good, you're finally paying attention. Took you long enough."_

_"You toss me down a flight of stairs!" yelled Marinette, "Wait...you can see me?"_

_"Yeah, I can see you. And yeah, I can hear you too, don't know why. Guess Henry thought making me see and hear his victims would make me feel bad or guilty or something," waved off Alexa, "Whatever. And the whole 'tossing-you-down-the-stairs' thing, it was for your own good."_

_"Where am I?" Marinette asked._

_"You're in the hospital, physically and mentally," answer Alexandra, putting a cigarette to her lips, lighting it. Marinette looked at her in confusion, how did she get cigarettes in her cell, or a lighter for that matter? And how the heck could she smoke in...wherever they were? "Now where was I, oh yeah. You're in the hospital. After I pushed you down the stairs..."_

_"Thanks for that..." grumbled Marinette._

_"You're welcome," Alexandra snickered before turning serious, "Anyway, your friends called 112 and an ambulance came and took you to the hospital to treat you. This should give you some time and distance away from Henry before he sucks you dry."_

_"You think the Parisian Incubus is after me? I don't fit his type," stated Marinette, "He goes after..."_

_"Bitchy, hot girls, yeah I get it, sweet cheeks," said Alexandra, taking a puff, "But sometimes guys get bored of the same thing and go for something new. Something different. And your practically Henry's 'dream girl.'"_

_Marinette felt her stomach turn at those words, "Dream girl?"_

_"Ya' know: kindhearted, selfless, motherly, that sort of shit," replied Alexandra, "Everything he wanted me to be but I wasn't. So now he's going after you."_

_"Who is he? Do you know what he looks like?" questioned Marinette._

_"No clue," shrugged Alexandra, "Henry is smart and doesn't let me see his current form and I can only manifest myself to his victims when he isn't around. Look, all you have to do is avoid men, especially hot charming dudes, for a few more days and you're in the clear. Apparently he has some deadline with this butterfly-guy and if he fails to drain you by this weekend, he'll take away his powers."_

_Marinette sighed in defeat but noted what Alexandra told her. So Hawk Moth gave the Incubus a deadline: drain her by this weekend or he'll be forcibly de-akumized. But wait, would the victims wake up if that happens? Or would they be stuck in their current state forever? What about the Incubus, Henry from what Alexandra told her? Would he be okay after Hawk Moth extracts his akuma? These thoughts swirled in her head, making her dizzy and making the room spin. Wait, the room was spinning!_

_"Shit! Looks like you're waking up," cursed Alexandra, "Remember, stay the fuck away from any weirdos that try to get close to you, especially the hot ones!"_

 oOoOoOoOo

Groaning, Marinette slowly opened her eyes, only to shut them when the lights overhead had blinded her. Her head was throbbing and she briefly wondered if this is what a hangover feels like. Immediately, she heard the sounds of running footsteps and a door slamming open. "Marinette!" Sabine yelled, wrapping her arms around her baby girl, hugging her close.

"Mom...too loud..." whimpered Marinette, her ears ringing.

Sabine apologize and softly whispered how grateful she was that she was okay. The doctor, a female in a white lab coat and bob-cut brown hair cleared her throat, "Hello, Marinette. I'm glad you're awake. My name is Dr. Lapointe, how are you feeling? Do you remember what happen?"

"Um...I fell?" guessed Marinette, wincing as her voice cracked.

"According to your results, you're suffering from extreme exhaustion and fatigue," answered Dr. Lapointe, checking said results on her clipboard, "I'm surprised you were even able to get out of your bed! No wonder you passed out. Mr. And Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, I would recommend you have your daughter stay home and get plenty of rest for the new few days, until she gains her strength."

"So we can take her home?" Tom asked.

Dr. Lapointe nodded, "I see no reason to have her stay. She'll have a bump in the back of her head from where she fell, but other than that, she'll be fine. If you have any other question, please don't hesitate to call. Now I need you to sign the release form, please follow me."

"Marinette, sweetie, we'll be right back," whispered Sabine, kissing her daughter on the cheek before her and her husband followed the doctor out.

Few minutes after her parents left, Alya came bursting into the room, following Sabine's action of throwing her arms around Marinette's torso. "Thank god you're okay!" Alya cried, "After seeing you on the ground like that...I knew I shouldn't have left you alone!"

"Alya, it's okay," said Marinette, comforting Alya, "It's not your fault. I was too stubborn and didn't realize how tried I was."

That didn't help Alya who was still crying over how she wasn't there for her. After calming herself down, Alya proceed to tell Marinette what had happen, how she heard Nino scream, came running in and seeing Adrien cradling her limp body, Nino calling 112, the entire student body crowding the school, watching her being carried into the ambulance and the ride to the hospital. Marinette felt mortifyed, she'd be heading the rumor mill for days! Ugh, she could just imagine the rumors flying about her already.

"They're releasing me soon," stated Marinette, "I'm order to stay at home until I gain my strength back."

"What did I tell you?!" Alya shouted, placing her hands on her hips, "Stay in bed until you're able to walk without tripping over your own two feet."

"I couldn't do that before," joked Marinette.

"Hey, at least now it gives you an excuse to miss the finals," smiled Alya.

The two girls laughed, the somber feeling in the air faded away. Alya sat next to Marinette, chatting a bit about random things: winter plans, grades, the latest news about Ladybug and Chat Noir, that sort of stuff. Then Marinette remembered her dream and Alexandra. "Hey Alya," said Marinette, cutting off the blogger, "What hospital am I in?"

"Hôtel Dieu," answered Alya, "It was the closest one to our school. If that name seems familiar, it's because it's the same hospital that housing the Sleeping Beauties victims. Seriously, we're only a few doors down from the coma ward. I tried to go in but the doctors and nurses stopped me."

Marinette sat silently as Alya continued going on about the case and the victims. Alexandra's words kept echoing in her mind. "Has anyone come to visit me?" Marinette asked.

"Nope," replied Alya, "It's only been me and your parents. And a few doctors and nurses, but that's it."

' _Okay_ , _so I'm okay...for now anyway_ ,' thought Marinette, then her eyes widen when she realized what was missing, "Where's my purse? And my bag?"

"Here," Alya pointed at the table stand next to her bed, opening the top drawer to reveal her pink, over-the-shoulder purse and her backpack, "I asked the paramedics to give them to me for safe keeping."

"Oh...did you open it...?" Marinette asked.

"And see all the Adrien doodles in your notebook? Yep," giggled Alya.

She sighed in relief, she hadn't seen Tikki. Was she still in her purse? A tiny ring came from Alya's pocket, her cell phone, and Alya strolled through her logs, wincing at the amount of missed texts she received from Nino, all asking how Marinette was and which room they were in. "I'll be right back," said Alya, walking through the door, "Gotta call Nino to let him know you're okay."

Once sure Alya was gone and no one else was going to come in, Marinette opened her purse. "Tikki?" she whispered, "Are you in there?"

Marinette nearly shrieked as the kwami flew straight into her face, hugging her cheek and crying. "Marinette! Are you okay? What happen?!" Tikki cried, tears pouring down her face.

Marinette held the tiny kwami in her hands, kissing Tikki on the top of her head until she stopped crying. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Tikki," said Marinette, glancing softly at her, "You must have been out of your mind worrying about me."

"Marinette...you were talking to someone, someone that tossed you over the railing," stated Tikki, "Who were you talking to? Who did this to you?"

The blunette bit her lip, unsure if she wanted to tell Tikki what happen. "You'd think I was crazy."

"Marinette, you nearly had your skull cracked open!" cried Tikki.

Sighing, Marinette opened her mouth to answer but closed it when she heard knocking at her door. Tikki gasped and slipped back into the purse in which Marinette put back into the drawer. Alya came in smiling, in tow was Nino and Adrien, holding a big bouquet of flowers with a card in the center. "Look who came to visit you," Alya said in a sing-sung voice.

"Hey, Marinette," said Adrien, handing her the bouquet of flowers, "This is for you. Hope you're doing alright."

Pink roses, hot pink mini carnations, daisies and green button poems were all arranged beautifully and wrapped in cream colored paper with a pink ribbon tied around the stem. Marinette felt her face turn red as Adrien, handsome and beautiful Adrien, handed this to her! She'd alway imagine him doing this in her day dreams, asking her out or proposing to her, but this was just as good! She smiled back awkwardly and thanked him, hoping her voice didn't sound too bad.

"Marinette is getting out soon," stated Alya, breaking the silence, "But she's stuck on bed rest until she's better."

"Lucky!" Nino cheered, "At least you have an excuse to miss school. I'm pretty sure Mme. Mendeleiev is going to kill the entire class the next time she sees us!"

"Your fault for not paying attention," teased Alya.

"Hey, it wasn't just me!" complained Nino, "No one else was paying attention. Model boy here sure wasn't..."

"At least I took notes," counter Adrien.

The small group of students laugh and talked among themselves until Dr. Lapointe came back with Marinette's parents, telling her it was okay for her to leave. A wheelchair was brought in order to help Marinette leave the bed. She was only grateful that she was still in her clothing and wasn't in those embarrassing hospital scrubs. That would have been a disaster and in front of Adrien too! Tom lifted his daughter into the chair and rolled her out the hospital.

Adrien helped Marinette and her folks by offering to take them all home in his limo, which they took up on. Marinette stayed silent throughout the ride but on the inside was fangirling. She was in Adrien Agreste's limo! He was talking to her parents! He brought her flowers and offered to help her to her room! If he got on his knees and proposed to her then it would have been a fairytale come true!

When Adrien scooped her up in his arms, Marinette nearly fainted, not from exhaustion but from sheer happiness. Though Adrien asked if she was okay as her face turned bright red, Marinette just muttered that she was just sick though she couldn't help but notice Alya taking a quick pic on her phone. The bluenette made a mental note to ask Alya to send the pic to her later. She wasn't worried when he entered her room. After Hector's late night visit, she hadn't gotten around to putting back up her multiple Adrien photos on her wall or replacing her computer wallpaper so she was safe from embarrassment.

Adrien and Tom helped set Marinette back in her bed while her mother fussed over her, much to Marinette embarrassment as her friends were still present. Adrien couldn't help but smiled sadly at the image of Marinette's parents showering her with such love and attention. ' _Wish dad could be a little more like that_ ,' he thought as he, Nino and Alya were escorted out, each receiving a small box of treats for their troubles. Once back home, dropping off Alya and Nino at their respective homes, Plagg wasted no time diving into the cheese-filled pastries given to him.

"Mmm, delicious!" moaned Plagg, gulping down puff after puff of freshly baked gougères.

"Alright, Plagg, what were you going to tell me about Marinette?" asked Adrien, "Why do I need to be worried about her?"

Plagg sighed, really hoping he could have done this later but decided now was the best time. "When we were in her hospital room, I took a whiff of the air around her," he replied, "That girl, Marinette, reeks of akuma."

"What?!" yelled Adrien, "What do you mean? Is she possessed or..."

"Not possessed, but she's been hanging around an akuma-possessed person," stated Plagg, "My guess: the Parisian Incubus."

Adrien stared in disbelief. "That's impossible," he said, "Marinette doesn't fit his victim list. She isn't spoiled or cruel or selfish..."

"So? It isn't like he can't switch his victim type now can't he?" retorted Plagg, "Either way, that girl has been in close contact with the akuma and has been having her energy slowly sucked from her body. Her exhaustion and fainting spell isn't from an all-night sewing binge, it from that akuma getting its hook in her."

Adrien felt dread built up in his stomach. He always HATED akumas like these, akumas that target innocent people that had nothing to do with their misfortune. When it came to majority of akuma-ized villains, Ladybug and Chat Noir understood their motives and reasons for why they did what they did. Stormy Weather attacked Mireille and the weather station for her losing the competition, the Bubbler kidnapped adults due to his anger at Mr. Agreste for not allowing him to throw a party for Adrien's birthday, Monsieur Pigeon kidnapped the police for forbidding him from feeding the birds. Then there were villains like Chronogirl and Dark Cupid who attacked everyone, and while they had their reasons for being angry that didn't excuse them for doing what they did.

"First the Evillustrator now this," groaned Adrien. Why was Marinette becoming a target for akumas? Chloe he understood, the girl couldn't go a month without causing some poor soul to become possess, but Marinette? The girl was the sweetest and most innocent person he ever knew, second only to Rose, and couldn't possibly understand why anyone would hurt her.

' _Unless she rejected him_ ,' he thought, but shook that off as the Parisian Incubus was known to seduce his victims. But Marinette wasn't dating anyone, was she? Alya didn't say anything about her dating and the blogger knew EVERYTHING about the bluenette so he doubted she was seeing anyone. Then how could the Incubus have gotten close to her?

He remembered that the Parisian Incubus, Henry, wanted to become a teacher and worked at a high school before his possession. The only people that could have gotten close to her, without raising suspicion, would have been teachers and students. Adrien immediately crossed off teachers, Marinette would never go after people much older than her and Alya would have known if some teacher was creeping on her. Then student? He hadn't remember any other students getting close to Marinette other than the students in their class and even then, due to the finals coming up, many were busy with studying. The only ones that actually interacted with Marinette was himself, Alya, Nino and...

"Hector?" said Adrien out loud.

"Huh?" asked Plagg, pulling himself away from his precious cheese, "What about that foreign exchange student?"

Adrien started to panic. Hector? The Parisian Incubus? It didn't seem possible, he didn't want it to be possible, but it made sense. Hector was the only wild card in their school, the one that was just thrusted into their school near the end of the semester and was instantly liked by everyone. Hector was also the one that had gotten the closest to Marinette without raising suspicions, after all, he was a student and he was her assigned partner for their history project.

"Plagg, we need to go," ordered Adrien, closing his door and opening the window.

"Aww, why now?" whined Plagg, "At least let me finished my..."

"Claws out!"

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Marinette groaned as she woke up from her nap. She spotted her mom dropping off a dish of chicken cordon bleu with a slice of quiche and some vegetables on the side. "Marinette, your father and I need to drop off another order across town," said Sabine, "Do you think you'll be okay by yourself? Do you want me to call Alya to come over?"

"No, no, I'll be fine," replied Marinette, waving off her mother's concern, "I'll just eat my dinner and go back to sleep."

"Okay..." muttered Sabine before smiling, "Try to eat everything on your plate and don't play on your phone. You need your rest."

"Yes mom," answered the blunette, slowly climbing down her bed.

Sabine gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before she disappeared down the trapdoor. It took a while but Marinette finally regained some of her strength and started eating normally. By the time she ate the last bite of her quiche, she heard the front door's chimes ring. Glancing outside, Marinette watched her parents back up some pastry boxes in the back of a delivery truck and took off down the street.

The sky was already pitch black, despite it only being 7:24 p.m. Marinette took her dishes downstairs, washed them before heading back up to her bed. Tikki was still snuggled up in her pillow, mumbling a bit before being poked awake by Marinette. Yawning cutely, Tikki shook the sleep from her eyes and looked up at the bluenette. "Hi Marinette, sleep well?" asked Tikki.

"As well as I could after falling from a six foot drop," replied Marinette dryly, "At least my head isn't throbbing any more."

Tikki giggled, flying up and landing on Marinette's hair, "Don't worry. I know you'll make a speedy recovery. At least you got to enjoy Adrien carrying you up to your bed."

"I know," gushed Marinette, "He is so strong. I could feel his muscles. Those fencing lessons are really paying off."

Tikki giggled as Marinette continued to swoon about Adrien, his muscles, how he effortlessly carried her up all those stairs and into her bed. Her parents also told her how sweet and polite he was and how he asked if he come over tomorrow to check up on her. At that, Marinette nearly squealed but was too tired and had fallen asleep around that time. Marinette yawned, still a bit exhausted from the long day she had and decided to go back to sleep. Snuggling into her bed, Marinette pulled the covers up to her cheek and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, three loud knocks echoed through the room. Marinette shot up from her bed, accidentally toss Tikki off her head and into the air. Peering over the railing, the French-Asian girl stared at the door, thinking she just imagined the knocks until another three knocks echoed throughout the room, a bit louder this time. Marinette looked confused, who was knocking? Was it her parents? Had they forgotten something? If so, why were they knocking when they could just come in?

Climbing down quickly, almost falling off the stairs, Marinette kneeled in front of the trapdoor and swung it open. She swallowed a scream and jumped back in shock. The person on the other side laughed, "Sorry, I guess I should have announced myself."

Marinette stared back in confusion and alarm. "Hector? What are you doing here?"

 oOoOoOoOoOo

Chat Noir raced across the rooftops towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery. He still wasn't sure if Hector was the Incubus or not, still in denial about the whole thing, but Marinette was still in trouble and was vulnerable to any attacks. He tried calling Ladybug but there was no reply and instead of waiting, Chat just ran towards the girl's home. He didn't care if he fell asleep in class the next day, he'd stay up all night guarding Marinette if he could. He wasn't going to let any akuma get within an inch of her. Not if he could help it.

"Chat Noir! Chat Noir, down here!" yelled a pair of voices.

Looking down, Chat was shocked to see Alya and Nino out and about at this time of the night. The two were certainly dress for the night, both wearing long sleeved sweaters with Nino sporting a wool hat instead of his usual cap. In Alya's hands was a small container that had steam coming out of it. Soup, maybe? Jumping down from the rooftop and in front of the two, he realized that they were heading towards Marinette's home as well. Alya whipped out her cell phone and held it up to the feline superhero's face.

"Chat Noir, the people need to know: how are you and Ladybug doing on the case so far?" asked Alya, "Do you have any solid leads to aid the police?"

"Uh, sorry, can't really say anything at the moment, kinda need to be somewhere..." began Chat Noir, trying to find a polite way to leave the two. He also didn't want the two following him only to find him heading towards Marinette's house as well. That would raise too many questions and Alya, being the dedicated reporter she was, would figure out that Marinette was a possible target and freak out.

Said blogger, however, wasn't letting Chat Noir go, not without some details for her viewers. "But it's been several weeks," countered Alya, "Many people believe that the Parisian Incubus is about to take another victim. Do you have any idea who that victim may be?"

' _I have one theory_ ,' thought Chat as he tried to get pass the two, ' _But you won't like it_.'

"Hey! Since you're here, why don't you escort us to our friend's house?" Nino asked.

Both the blogger and teen superhero looked at the DJ in confusion. "What? The city-wide curfew is still in place and we're way out passed it. Remember, we're suppose to have an adult to escort us. Why not have one of Paris's superhero? That could count, right?"

Nino was right, it was nearly 10 p.m. and the police would be scanning the streets for anyone under 21 out roaming the city this late. Chat Noir opened his mouth to object but realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to check on Marinette without being overly suspicious or weird. "Sure, I'll help," stated Chat Noir, "Where do you need to go?"

Alya squealed. "Awesome! We're heading to my friend, Marinette's, house. Her parents' own the best bakery in all of Paris. Her parents' gave me a copy of their key to let myself in. While we're there, I can ask you some more questions," on cue, Alya shoved the phone into Chat Noir's face, the red light blinking, stating it was recording.

"Great," moaned Chat, not really wanting to deal with another of Alya's intense scrutiny.

"Come on, it's just down a few block," stated Nino as the trio started walking, "Maybe we'll ask her parents for some sweets while we're there."

"You and your sugar cravings," giggled Alya.

"What? It's not for me," defended Nino, "I'm sure Mr. & Mrs. Dupian-Cheng would love to thank Chat Noir with some of their delicious baked goods for all the times he has saved Paris."

"Uh huh," Alya smirked, not believing a word Nino was saying.

Adrien couldn't help but smile at his two bickering friends. He wished Nino would gather his courage and ask the blogger out, the two fought like an old married couple. As they walked closer to Marinette's home, he noticed that the bakery was closed, not strange for how late it was and what had happen with Marinette, but the delivery truck that belonged to the Dupain-Cheng was also gone. Had Marinette's parents gone out to make a late night delivery?

Getting closer, he spotted something that made he blood run cold. Something that neither Marinette nor her parents would do on such a cold, bitter night. "Why is the back entrance to the bakery wide open?"

 oOoOoOoOo

_Rage coursed through his vein as he replayed the day's events. First Alexandra had interfered with Marinette, causing the girl bodily harm and having her taken away from him. Then when he went to go 'visit' Alexandra, he finds out that she has been moved! According to a nearby nurse station, for whatever reason, Alexandra's sister, Victoria, asked for Alexandra to be transferred to a different hospital! Why? From what he remembered, Victoria and Alexandra hated each other, why would Victoria do something like that? The transfer wasn't done yet but he wasn't going to go searching throughout this huge hospital to look for her, he didn't have time! Instead, he decided to head for Marinette but those idiot nurses couldn't remember the correct room numbers she was in!_

_He literally spend hours running throughout the hospital looking for the blunette only to find her room occupying another patient! She had been released early! Negative energy seeped through his body, causing the nearby flowers to wither and die in mere seconds. His temper was flaring and he decided enough with the games and manipulation. He needed to drain Marinette tonight! The moon stood full in the night sky as he exited the building, pulling out his phone to make a call to the Dupain-Cheng bakery._

_It was mere child's play getting her parents out of the house. Disguise his voice as the mayor, make a large order of baked goods and sent the couple across the city, a two hour drive to some random destination. By the time the two realized their mistake and drove home, it would already be too late. They wound find their daughter lying on the ground, unconscious and unresponsive. A familiar scene would play out: a call to 112, a trip to the hospital, doctors working feverishly to wake the sleeping girl, then placing her in another cream colored room with all the other unconscious girls. They would label her door #14, his second to last victim. Ladybug would soon join them as well._

_Once they were gone, it was just a matter of finding a way in. Front door of the bakery was too risky, alarms were set all over the door. Breaking a window was out of the question too. He soon went to the back of the bakery/apartment. This one didn't seem to have an alarm and picking the lock was easy. It swung open after a minute of lock picking and he slowly climbed up the stairs. He remembered the layout of the building, Marinette's room was at the very top, pass the living room. He slowly opened the living room door, quiet as to not make a sound._

_Above, he could hear Marinette's bed moving about. Was she sleeping? That was good, she'd probably be disoriented and hazy in thought. He had to be sneaky about this, he couldn't spook her. He had to make sure that she wouldn't fight, that would get too messy and evidence might be left behind. He had to get this over with, he was impatient, the Voice was impatient and he didn't want anyone to come barging in while he was busy. Knocking on the door, he waited for Marinette to let him in. He enjoyed that shocked look on her face, as well as the glaze in her eyes. She was still tired, only half of her energy had return._

_'Good,' he thought, climbing inside, 'That would make draining the rest of her easier.'_

 oOoOoOoOo

To say that Marinette was surprised was an understatement. She was downright shocked and a bit horrified to see Hector. Color rushed into her cheeks as she remembered she was dressed in her summer-time pajamas: a pair of tiny shorts that stopped mid-thigh and a pink camisole. Unusual for this type of weather but her mother had blasted the heater up in for Marinette to sleep better. Marinette felt so naked as Hector climbed up and quickly snatched up a long red robe with a hood on it nearby. It was a left over piece of a costume she had done for a school play but she tossed it on anyway.

' _Better than being half naked in front of someone_ ,' Marinette thought before turning to Hector, "So...Hector, what are you doing here? I didn't hear the doorbell."

"Sorry about that," replied Hector, smiling sheepishly, "Your parents let me in. They said they were going to make a late night delivery and thought it would be best if someone watched over you until they came back."

Marinette froze as she heard this. Her parents left nearly an hour ago, so it wasn't possible for them to let Hector in. Besides, they NEVER allow a boy to watch over their daughter unless they knew him well and Hector had only been to their home twice. Marinette felt a cold chill ran up her spine as Hector looked around her room. Why was he lying? What purpose did he have for lying?

"My parents let you in?" asked Marinette, trying to make sure she heard right.

Hector nodded. "Yep. They were going to go and wake you up but decided to let you sleep. Guess I kinda ruined it for you, huh."

"No, it's fine," replied Marinette slowly, walking across the room, "I was going to wake up anyway. Have to go over the notes Nino and Adrien left for me."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air, making it more nerve racking for Marinette. She knew everything he said was a lie and that scared her. If he was only going to visit, why would he make up such an excuse about her parents? How did he let himself in? Why hadn't he just rung the doorbell? What was he doing here?! That last questioned scared her. The full weight of the situation finally hit her: she was alone in her room with some boy she didn't feel comfortable with, her parents miles away and no one around to hear her if things went wrong. ' **DANGER!** ' was now shrieking in her mind.

"Uh, why are you here?" Marinette asked, not really looking at Hector, just around him.

"Oh, I was going to give you my notes for the classes you missed but I guess Nino and Adrien got to you before I did, huh?" Hector said.

Another lie, Hector didn't have his bag or any sort of notebook in his hands. If he did, why didn't he bring it up with him? What is going on? "Sorry," apologize Marinette, "But I think I need to go back to bed. It's really late and I need my rest."

"Do you mind if I stay?" asked Hector, "It's really late and with this city curfew still in place...I really don't want to get in trouble."

Marinette cursed under her breath. The curfew! How could she forget about the curfew? Now there was no way Hector could leave! She thought about calling a taxi but didn't have any extra cash on her and she doubt Hector would have any. "I-I guess," stuttered Marinette, "Just until my parents come back. My dad can give you a ride home."

Hector didn't reply, just stared at her room, taking in the layout. If Marinette didn't feel uncomfortable before, she sure as hell did now! She wanted Hector out! She wanted him gone! She didn't care anymore about how much of a 'nice' or 'handsome' or 'awesome' person he was. She didn't care that virtually everyone in school liked him or how the teachers adored him! Or how her friends seemed to be pushing him towards her. Her kindness and patience was running thin with this guy! She wanted him to leave her alone!

"Hey Marinette," said Hector, snapping her out of her thoughts, "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh...sure," answered Marinette, "What do you want?"

"I want to know if you want to go out with me," he asked, looking a bit bashful.

The blunette stared at him. Oh, hell no! No way in hell! Marinette was internally shrieking at this statement but kept a cool appearance, or at least she tried to. "Uh...I don't know," replied Marinette, "No offense, Hector, but I don't like you in that sort of way. I'm sorry, can we just be friends?"

Truthfully, she really didn't want to be friends with him, she didn't want him around at all, but didn't want to seem too cruel. Her good side wanted to at least be nice to him, even if she found him creepy. Hector frowned at this. "Really? I really do like you," he stated, "You're very sweet and kind. You sure you don't want to go out for at least a coffee date?"

"I don't really drink coffee," Marinette groaned at this answer, "Don't worry, Hector. There are plenty of other girls that really like you. Heck, you have an entire fan club back at school."

"But I don't like them as a girlfriend," said Hector, walking closer to her, "Can't you give me a chance?"

Marinette hugged the robe closer to her, hoping the presence of the fabric will cover her and make her invisible. Or at the very least keep Hector's hand from touching any of her skin. Somehow, Hector's hand found hers and Marinette broke out in a sweat. She stared at the hand then look up at Hector who was smiling hopefully at her.

"Hector...I think you should leave," Marinette said bluntly, trying to pull her hand free from Hector.

"Please Marinette," begged Hector, tightening his hold on her hand, "You're a sweet girl and I really want to get to know you. I'm not a bad guy. Please, can you at least..."

"You need to go," cut off Marinette, her tone more forceful, "I'll call a cab."

She yanked her hand back and walked towards her desk to pick up her phone, trying to dial a taxi service while rummaging for her wallet. She only had about 40€ on her, money she was saving for some fabrics she wanted to buy but decided to sacrifice a few bucks if it meant getting Hector out of her room. Opening another drawer on her Chinese storage box, her fingers started searching for her pink wallet when Hector suddenly grabbed her forearm roughly.

"Marinette," he said forcefully, "Don't ignore me!"

Instinctively, Marinette grabbed a nearby pair of scissors and slashed at Hector. "Get off!" Marinette shrieked.

Hector let out a yell as the scissors tore open his shirt but thankfully never touched his skin. Marinette, realizing what she just done, gasped in shock and dropped the scissors. "Oh my god, I am so sorry!" she cried, taking a few steps near him, "I don't know what came over me! Let me help..."

Hector waved off her concern. "No, no, it's my fault. I should have never grabbed you like that," he stated, "Marinette, I'm really sor...hey, are you okay?"

Marinette was frozen in fear as she stared at Hector. Her scissor had sliced open the collar of his shirt and down a few inches, revealing a perfectly tone chest most girls would drool at. But that wasn't what shocked her, it what was around his neck. Hector wore a thin, silver chain around his neck. On that chain was a charm. A charm depicting a realistic heart, all in black and bleeding. Her mouth went dry as her mind flashed back to those pictures of the Sleeping Beauties with their dates. To Alexandra's warning. Hector, Henry, it all seemed so stupidly obvious that she wanted to smack herself for not realizing it sooner.

"It's you..." croaked out Marinette, taking a step back.

"What? Marinette what are you..." began Hector, his face full of confusion.

"It's you!" yelled Marinette, "You're the Parisian Incubus! You're the one that put all those girls in the hospital! And...you're going to do the same to me..."

Upon that realization Marinette glanced at the trapdoor, a few feet away as Hector bowed his head, shaking it slightly, almost in disappointment. "Marinette," said Hector, raising his head up and staring at the bluenette. Marinette nearly screamed as Hector's eyes were pure red, literally. No pupil or sclera, just pure red color. "This would have been so much better if you had just fallen in love with me."

Marinette made a break for the trapdoor, but Hector took hold of one of her twintails and yanked her back. His hands grabbed hold of her neck, tightening his hold ever so slowly as he lifted her in the air, her tiny, bare feet dangling off the ground. The bluenette watched in horror as Hector or Henry or whoever his name was started to morph. His flawless skin turned ashen and dead, his grin grew manic, teeth sharpened, nails turned to claws and his limps seemed to stretched longer than humanly possible. Marinette gasped and choked as her fingers tried to loosen his grip on her, but to no avail.

He slowly started to suck the very life from her, she could tell. Her vision was getting hazy, her body grew heavier and her breath, already short, grew raggedy. One of her arms already lost all feeling and the other one was about to go too. ' _I'm going to die_ ,' thought Marinette as her eyes watered a bit, ' _Mom and dad are going to come home, find my lifeless body, blame themselves, Alya is going to be crushed, I'll never be able to tell Adrien how I felt or tell Chat Noir how great a friend and partner he was and he'll never be able to tell Ladybug how he feels...and Paris...will suffer...because of...me_...'

All of a sudden, both of Marinette's mannequins crashed onto the ground, the crash echoing loudly throughout the room, spooking Hector and lessening his grip on Marinette. She could barely see a flash of red duck behind the mannequins as they tumbled to the ground. Marinette let out a tiny gasped. Tikki! Her kwami had toppled over her dress forms, but why? Marinette felt her eyes rolled to the edge of her eyelids just as another loud crashed thundered the room. Someone was screaming her name and another was calling out for a...princess?

She barely registered a flash of black tackle Hector, shoving the beast across the room and into the wall. She barely registered the pain she felt as she fell to the ground for a second time today, or the two dark figures circling her, one of them with long hair, crying and calling out for her to respond. She could barely see or hear the black figure gripping onto his staff, hissing as it stared down the Incubus Hector. The pain and dizziness was too much as she passed out, letting the cold darkness swallowed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene! Has Marinette fallen into a coma? Will her friends be able to wake her up? Who knows? I do, but you'll have to wait until next chapter. Wow, I wrote this chapter in record time! Two days writing this and half a day editing it (as best I could, sorry if there is any errors missed. If you see any errors, don't be afraid to point them out!) and then posting it. Hope you guys and girls like it. The next chapter will take a little longer since I need to fill out scholarship application, talk to my school about tuition and get ready to go back to college soon. But fear not! I will try to get ch.12 up before I enter college again. Remember, the poll for my next Miraculous fic is still up and will be open until I complete O & B. Anyway, here's to a prosperous New Year and, just to state an obvious fact, college tuition is f**kin' expensive! That is all.
> 
> Read, Review & Vote!


	12. Furibundal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Furibundal come from the latin work 'furibundus', meaning full of rage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter! Repeat: Short Chapter! Sorry, I don't exactly have much experience in writing action/fighting scenes but I hope this will be decent enough. The entire chapter is just one big Adrien/Chat Noir vs Hector/Parisian Incubus fight scene plus monologue. No more than 4,000 words, 5,000 if I'm lucky. Anyway, two more chapters left! That's right, the fic is 14 chapters in total! Oh, and for those of you that haven't vote yet, please vote. I'm not kidding, I have two pairs of ties for 1st/2nd place and 3rd/4th place! What are the odds?!
> 
> This chapter is for DARK-EVIL-GODS21 who wanted me to post this chapter before Wednesday. Sorry that this chapter is a bit late, a few things came up and I had issues with this chapter. Hope you and everyone else likes it
> 
> Also, Happy Birthday Charles Perrault, French author who laid the foundation for the fairy tale genres. He was also mentioned in my fic :)
> 
> WARNING: blood and a bit of gore will be present in this chapter.
> 
> Anway, on with the show:

Anger wasn't an uncommon emotion for Adrien. He was angry at a lot of things in his life. He was angry at his father for being so cold, never showing him love or affection and constantly putting pressure on him to succeed. He was annoyed being overbooked for photo shoots. He hated getting manhandled by makeup artists and designers. And being treated as an accessory by multiple models and Chloe wasn't a joy either. But what he felt seeing what he saw was nothing short of rage. Pure, unadulterated rage.

Chat Noir would be lying if he said the sound of his baton hitting against Hector's chest, the echoing of cracked ribs, didn't sound satisfying. After seeing Marinette being choked by a warped, demonic version of Hector, her body hanging limp in the air with her eyes rolled back, he didn't hesitate. He let his baton swing, hitting him square in the chest, sending him flying across the room and into the window, shattering it and nearly pushing him out of the room.

Marinette fell down in a heap, gasping for air. Her vision was blurring and her body heavy as if it was made of lead. Alya and Nino kneeled down to her, trying to help her up and breathing while Chat Noir stood in between them and Hector, who was rising from his stupor. That once dashing young exchange student was replace with something viler; eyes turned from red to pure black, teeth sharpen, nails like claws, elongated limbs and steam started pooling around his feet.

' _Shapeshifter. Ladybug was right_ ,' thought Chat Noir as Hector morphed back into his 'handsome, foreign exchange student' persona.

"Now that was crude," Hector hissed, straightening his clothes, "Hasn't anyone told you that it is considered impolite to get in between a man and his girlfriend's conversation?"

"She's not your girlfriend," replied Chat Noir, his eyes glaring at him, "Didn't you hear her? She doesn't like you and wants you GONE!"

Hector scoffed, "How typical of a mangy cat. Alway butting its nose into everyone's business. Do you honestly think you can protect her? You and Ladybug didn't before, not for those other girls. What makes Marinette any different?"

Chat growled, his body tense and ready to claw this akuma's eyes out. Any pass feeling or misgivings about Hector went straight out the window. Behind him, Alya and Nino kept trying to shake Marinette awake, but to no avail. "Mari! MARI! Wake up!" yelled Alya, tears pooling in her eyes, "Please! Breathe!"

On cue, Marinette let out a wheezy gasp, choking on her breath as she tried to gather her non-existed strength. Nino and Alya sighed in relief while Chat Noir's stance relax a bit. Hector's groaned in annoyance at the trio's overreaction, glaring straight at his former classmates. "Calm down," he said, "It wasn't like I killed her."

"You nearly did!" Alya shrieked, turning her body towards him, eyes ablaze with the same fury as Chat Noir.

"I wouldn't hurt her..." he began, "Well I wouldn't have if she had just cooperated."

"You're the akuma?" Nino gaped, "You're the one that put all those girls in those comas?"

"Yes, though I don't understand why everyone is making such a big deal about it," stated Hector, "I mean I understand for some of them, their parents are wealthy socialites, but honestly most people would be happier if they all just disappeared."

"You...you tricked me...you had me push Marinette towards you..." Alya muttered, her expression shifting from anger to fear and horror.

"Yep and I thank you for it," Hector gave a mock bow, "You did your part well enough, though Marinette hadn't made it easy. She was always wary of me. I wonder if she unconsciously knew what I was."

" _I don't feel comfortable around him_ ," Marinette's words echoed through Chat's head, " _I just get a weird feeling when I'm around him_." He wanted to smack himself for being so stupid and oblivious to the signs. Marinette had TOLD him that she was scared, how she felt weird around him and he, trying to be a good friend to this creep, just chalked it up to her nerves.

' _After all this is over, I am DEFINITELY going to apologize to Marinette for doubting her_ ,' thought Chat Noir.

"Well I'm tired of this run around," stated Hector, snapping Chat out of his thoughts, "I think it's best if I finished what I started..."

Before he could take a step towards her, Chat Noir swung his staff at him again. Hector, this time, blocked it, grunting in pain. He had severely underestimated Chat Noir's strength and fighting ability as the two started to trade blows. After shoving Hector back a few more feet, Chat turned to Alya and Nino. "Get Marinette out of here!" he yelled, blocking another swipe from him.

Chat Noir backed up a bit and turned his staff horizontal, pointing towards Hector's center and shot out the extension. Hector didn't have time to get out of the way as the staff's extension jab into his stomach and send him flying across the room and through the window. The sound of crashing glass was enough to snap Alya and Nino out of their stupor and they each took one of Marinette's arm and carried her down the stairs. "Get her out, NOW!" Chat yelled again, but Alya, Nino and Marinette were already gone.

Running towards the window, Chat saw Hector peel himself off the concrete ground, ignoring the glass shards all around him and embedded in his skin. Either the glass didn't break the skin, Chat couldn't see any blood, or the akuma made his pain threshold stronger. Hector glared up at the feline superhero, his eyes completely black yet piercing. Due to the commotion, some of the windows in the neighborhood lit up, the residents peeking through them to see what was happening. Chat jumped down just as Hector got off, absentmindedly brushing off the dust and shards.

"You're making this harder then it has to be, cat," hissed Hector, straightening himself, "All you're doing is prolonging the inevitable for Marinette. Why make her suffer longer?"

Growling, Chat Noir charged at him, swinging his staff like a sword. Hector used his forearms to block him before throwing a punch. Chat pushed himself back, dodging the punch then swung at him again. The two continue their attacks and dodges for a few more moments, before Hector ducked down and swung his leg underneath Chat's legs, toppling the cat down. Hector tried to stomp on him but Chat blocked his feet with his staff before giving a hard shove upward, knocking Hector off his balance.

Chat wasted no time getting up before Hector clawed at him, hitting his mark on Chat's shoulder and upper chest, tearing the fabric. He hissed and shoved Hector backwards until the two were several feet away from each other. The Incubus' claws hadn't torn at his flesh, there was no blood or cuts on his body, but his leather suit was torn clean through. That worried him, Plagg told him that despite the lightweight and flexible material, the suit was incredibly strong and it took A LOT to cut through it. To prove it, Plagg had him try to make a cut in the suit. Several hours later, all that was left were three broken scissors, a bent box cutter and a mangled saw.

' _For Hector to cut this so easily...gotta stay clear of those claws_ ,' he thought, tightening his grip on his staff.

"I underestimated you," stated Hector, catching his breath, "Here I thought you were just Ladybug's sidekick. A decoy while she did all the work. Just brawns, no brain."

' _Calm yourself_!' hissed Plagg in his head, ' _He's just trying to agitate you_!'

' _Well it's working_!' Chat gripped his staff even tighter, for sure that his knuckles were white underneath his gloves.

"You're stronger than I thought. Though I guess you have to be in order to keep up with Miss Ladybug," remarked Hector, "I'm just glad you have some brains in your head then those idiots back at Marinette's school."

Chat felt entire his body shake with rage but Hector continued. "You'd be amaze how easily people fall for a pretty face and a charming persona. Especially if you claim to be from a wealthy family or go to a famous school. Honestly, if I were to choose anyone at that school, that Chloe chick would have been the easiest target. But she was way too...bitchy for my taste. Hell, that blonde, vain tramp made my ex look like a saint."

"And don't get me started on Marinette's 'friends'," bragged Hector, "Alya's sweet but she's far too naive to see any danger. Then again, I'm talking about a girl that jumps head first into akuma battle and the only thing on her mind is if she's able to record it. Nino is in the same boat, though he seems too laid back and more naive then her. And then there is Adrien Agreste, he was by far the easy to manipulate. Ha, I honestly feel bad for tricking him. The boy is the most innocent and naive of them all, no sense of security or suspicion of people. But then, when you're friends with an egotistical mayor's daughter and your father spends more time with his business partner than his son, I can understand why the boy is starved for any sort of attention."

Chat charged at him again and aimed for his head. "Shut up," he growled, pulling back his staff for another attack.

Hector chuckled as he dodged both attacks. "What's the matter? Are you friends with them?" he chuckled, "Tell me, are they as pathetic and clueless as I mentioned? Come on, you can't enjoy the irony of them trying to protect Marinette as they are pushing her towards me?"

"I said shut up!" Chat screamed, taking another swing at Hector. Hector, of course, dodges and the staff smashing into a nearby bus stop station, breaking three beams. Chat and Hector jumped back, avoiding the flying shards of metal.

"Jeeze, Chat Noir," taunted Hector, "Can't control your anger? Are a few words enough to make you lose your cool? No wonder Ladybug keeps you on a short leash."

"Leave her out of this!" yelled Chat.

"Oh? Fine, then I'll just talk about Marinette," said Hector, lunging at him, his claws only nicking him as Chat leaped back, "She was incredibly difficult to seduce. Always paranoid, ever since she saw me. I wonder if she figured it out. Could she see the dangerous creature I was? Did she mistake me for some creepy, relentless stalker or could she tell how inhuman I was underneath the charm and glamour? None of the other girls did, not that they paid attention, too blinded by the persona I led. I was everything they wanted: rich, handsome, charming, caring, protective, the perfect person and no one questioned it. No one else could feel the evil I possessed."

"Though I am grateful for that," smiled Hector, blocking another attack, "It made it easier to manipulate the masses and Marinette, poor Marinette, ever the people pleaser didn't want to be outed by her peers or have her friends think of her badly. Hell, I had Alya constantly pushing her towards me! Then Nino and Adrien! Heck, I was able to charm her parents for a while. I wonder how it felt having all her friends ganging up on her? Kinda funny from my point of view."

' _I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him_...' Chat chanted as his swings became more frantic.

' _Don't let him get to you_ ,' commanded Plagg, ' _Remember: it's the akuma that's doing this! Not the person underneath. don't do something you're going to regret_.'

"She's pretty tasty too," commented Hector, "Very sweet, her energy. When I met her at the bakery, she was far sweeter than any of the pastries she was surrounded by. That's when the I made her my target. The history project, it's pretty easy to switch partner's name when a teacher leaves their unlocked laptop in the classroom. The museum, pure child's play. Really, I could have drained her anytime I want, she made things pretty easy. Plus, she really is a beautiful girl. Though I would recommend that she buy curtains."

Chat looked confused at that statement and Hector just laugh. "Just something she should do, you'd never know who would be looking in at her when she's changing. A demonic incubus or a sneaky feline? Though I don't blame you, she's pretty hot."

Pretty soon, Chat was blinded by rage and was just blindly swinging at Hector. Only a few times did his swings actually hit their marks, but the rest were avoid effortlessly by an amused Hector. Out of the corner of their eyes, they could barely make out some of residents poking their head out of their windows, most of them young kids or teens, a few actually opening the door to step outside.

"What's going on out here?" asked an elderly voice.

"Oh my gosh, it's Chat Noir," stated an elated female voice.

Another young voice asked, "Is Ladybug here?"

"Who's he fighting?" another female voice asked, "He's pretty hot."

"Someone call the police!" yelled several voices.

"Seems we have an audience, Chat Noir," mentioned Hector, "So nosy. Why not get them out of the way?"

Hector roughly kicked Chat in the stomach, knocking him a few feet away, before turning to the witnesses. Nearby was a rather large oak tree, sturdy and strong. Without a moment of hesitation, Hector yanked it up, roots and all, before tossing it towards a nearby building. Screams exploded into the air as the the viewers of said build quickly pulled themselves back into their homes before the oak made contact with the exterior windows and brick, crushing some of the walls and shattering the windows. At that, many of the residents raced back inside, no doubt to call 112 to report what just happen. Chat had his mouth wide open at the sheer carelessness of Hector's actions.

"What? They were annoying," sneered Hector, "Besides, they were distracting. Come on, let's finish this battle before I can drain Marinette dry and you can drag her body to the hospital.

That statement snapped Chat Noir out of his stupor and charged at Hector once again. This time, he was more focused and was finally able to analyze Hector's fighting style. Hector didn't seemed to be a true fighter, just the basic punch, kick, some karate-moves that he probably saw in some movies, and his unearthly strength. It seemed like Hector or Henry a amateur fighter or didn't do any fighting at all, which made sense from what he heard about him, plus his methods of attacks was primarily seduction or manipulation of his target.

' _Of course that doesn't make fighting him any less difficult_ ,' thought Chat Noir, blocking another kick from the Incubus.

' _You're an idiot_ ,' said Plagg, ' _Use his inexperience against him_!'

When Hector threw another punch, Chat side swept it, grabbed his extended arm by the wrist, and yanked him forward. He kneed Hector hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, then grabbed him by the back of the shirt and chucked him over his shoulder and into a nearby light post. Hector's body completely broke the light post, snapping it in half and uprooting the bottom half, exposing the wires.

"Heh, heavier than I thought," snickered Chat.

Hector groaned as he plucked a shard of metal from his back. It didn't cut him or anything, but it was still an annoyance. He had to end this back-and-forth battle soon. He could faintly hear police sirens in the distance and he rather not deal with a hundred of Paris' bumbling police force. Wasn't Chat Noir enough of a joke already for him? Despite his strength, the feline was too much of an annoyance and he couldn't really do anything about him without Ladybug. Hector then realize that Ladybug had yet to show up. Why? Did she not know what was happen? Or was she running late finding them? Either way, he was sick with this battle and needed to drain Marinette soon, he was running dangerously low for his liking.

Plucking the top half of the light post, shaking off the broken remains of the light bulbs, Hector pointed the thing at Chat Noir. "I believe the term is en guard?"

Chat's eyes widen. Was Hector seriously challenging him to a fencing match? The feline superhero smirked. "The phrase is en garde," he corrected, "And 'I yield' means to surrender. Just thought I'd let you know."

"Good," smirked Hector, "I'll keep that in mind when you start screaming it."

The two lunged at each other before their 'swords' made contact. They went back and forth until Chat Noir, finally getting the hang of hitting a heavy and broken light post being used as a foil. Despite his strength, the pole was too heavy for Hector to properly use and it made for more of a blunt club than a graceful foil. Hector grind his teeth in annoyance as Chat got the upper hand yet again and somehow manage to knock the thing out of his hand. Chat lunge foward at him but Hector managed to leap over him, planting his feet on his back and shoving him to the ground.

"Well that was fun, but I've hand enough of this," stated Hector, kicking Chat's staff out of his hand, "I'll just leave you here to lick your wounds..."

"CATACLYSM!"

Suddenly, the ground under Hector crumbled. Spiderweb cracks appeared and broke under his weight, trapping one of his feet. Hissing, Hector struggled to unlatch his foot as Chat Noir came running at him, claws out. Hector only managed to successfully blocked one of Chat's swipes, the other had hit it's mark. All Chat wanted to do was claw his face, give Hector an outside to match his insides, but he had underestimated his own attack as his claws unintentionally sunk into Hector's left eye socket, gouging out his eye.

Hector let out an inhuman shriek that echoed through the neighborhood, scaring the hell out of Chat Noir and all of the residents inside. Blood had poured out, splattering all over Hector and on Chat's claws and suit. Hector's eyes, or rather what's left of them, glared at Chat Noir in pure fury as he grabbed him by the neck, tightening his grip and choking the air out of him. Chat gasped as he tried to claw out of Hector's grip but his suit was slippery from the blood.

"You filthy, useless feline!" Hector hissed, "You'll pay for that.

Pulling back his arm, Hector hurled Chat Noir across the street and straight into a nearby apartment building. His body landing against the brick wall with a sickening crack, knocking the wind out of him. Chat bite back a yelp of pain as his body left a massive crater on the exterior. Super healing or not, he was definitely going to feel that in the morning! Gravity peeled his body off the wall and pushed it down, making him land on a couple of garbage cans below him.

Yanking his foot free from its confines, Hector walked away, still clutching his bleeding eye, as Chat struggled to get up. The pressure his his back suffered was near spine breaking. He was amazing and a bit terrified at the amount of strength Hector had in his throw. Chat, however, didn't care, he had to make sure Hector didn't get near Marinette. Just as he was about to call him out, that dreaded sound of his ring beeping started going off. Looking down, he was shocked to see he was at his last paw! How'd that happen?! He just used Cataclysm!

'I told you to let me eat my cheese before we left,' nagged Plagg.

' _Plagg! This is not the time_!' panicked Chat Noir, watching Hector enter Marinette's home, ' _He's going to_...!'

' _Calm down. Your friends already took her out of the house_ ,' reported Plagg, ' _I can sense them a couple miles away! Look, there is a nearby cheese shop around here. I'll eat it quickly and then we can go after you're friend. We have about five, ten minutes tops, before he figures out where they are_.'

' _But_...' Chat's ring started to go off again, reminding him of the gravity of the situation.

' _Get out of here! Quick, before the transformation runs out_!' Plagg shrieked.

Chat Noir looked around and saw that the residents started peeking through their doors and window again, curious to see if the fight was still going on. Chat let out a disgusted sound and dashed towards the nearest alley just as his transformation ran out. Plagg fell into his palm, out of breath and tired. Adrien quickly put him into his pocket before running towards that nearby cheese shop Plagg was talking about.

' _Nino_ , _Alya, please keep Marinette safe until I power up again_ ,' prayed Adrien as he saw the fromagerie at the corner of the street. Bursting in, he nearly gave the shop clerk, a young female, a heart attack before blurting out, "Do you have any Camembert to go? It's an emergency!"

 oOoOoOoOoOo

_He heard Chat's ring beeping, he just didn't care. Though he wanted to turn around so the cat would see his wide grin but he knew it would be useless, Chat Noir was already dashing off before his transformation wore off. He ducked inside Marinette's shop before any one of the witnesses could see him and started climbing up the stairs. He didn't care about the trail of blood he was leaving behind, it's not like the police would have any DNA to compare it to. He hadn't seen Marinette, Alya or Nino leave so he assumed that they were still inside. Opening the door to the living room, he thought they would be hiding inside. They weren't._

_Marinette's room was the next choice. They weren't there either. Parents' room, guest room, bakery, back room, storage closets, he checked them all. Marinette was nowhere to be found. Rage overtook his senses and he began tearing the room apart. Furniture cracked and broken, decor imbedded into the wall, fabrics like curtains and pillows were torn to shreds and the blood from his eyes splattered everywhere, leaving the rooms like they had just become the scene of a murder. Red still colored his vision by the time he finished tearing Marinette's beloved home. Sirens were closing in on the area and the neighbors were leaving their homes to wait for the police to show up._

_He clutched his head in pain as the Voice roared in his head. "You fool! You had the perfect opportunity to get Chat Noir's Miraculous while he was down and you didn't take it?!"_

_"I didn't have time," said Hector, "I had to drain Marinette. I was running out of power..."_

_"And yet all I see is you are just tearing apart the girl's home like child throwing a temper tantrum after getting one of your eyes ripped out," scolded the Voice, "Either you drain that girl of her energy and get me my Miraculous or you will suffer a even worse fate if you continue to fail me again!"_

_"I'll find her," promised Hector, heading down the stairs, "I'll drain her. Then I'll go after Ladybug and Chat Noir and finish them for good."_

_The Voice scoffed. "Don't tell me. Show me. Otherwise, don't waste your breath."_

_Hector sucked in a big breath of air and ran out the back door of Marinette's home, opposite side of where the fight took place, still clutching his bleeding eye to prevent any more blood spillage. As he ran down the street, he could hear the screeching of tires and the wailing of police sirens as if they were next to him. The street lights started to illuminate as if it was morning as neighbors started waking up to see what was happening. He shook his head and focused. He had no time for pointless curiosity, he had to find Marinette._

_"Forgive me, Marinette. But please...just die for me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...done! Just a little over 4,000 words, thankfully. I was scared this would be too short and boring for you guys and girls until I got the other chapter up and ready. Sorry, I was really hoping this would be about 5,000 words. Oh well, next chapter will be longer, promise!
> 
> So just to remind everyone: VOTE! Seriously that double pair of tie is not exactly helping me choose which one of my fics I'll be doing next. Remember, you can vote on my FF's profile poll AND my tumblr post as well. I've decided to end the voting AFTER I'm finished with the next chapter so I can post the winning fic on the last chapter/ch. 14. So please do me a solid and if you haven't vote, VOTE!
> 
> Also, for those of you that keep seeing grammar errors, don't be scare to outright tell me in your reviews or send me a PM. Nefres is still MIA and I'm hoping that she's reading this and will send me a PM soon. Not looking for a beta reader, just write to me if you see any errors so I can go back and fix them.
> 
> Read, Review & Vote!


	13. Defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter! Sorry I'm late,my school suffered through a two-day snowstorm and the computer labs were down for a while. Also, last day of voting! Put in your votes before the day is over! Will not count any votes after today!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Only one more chapter left! Also I'm back in school so future chapters for fic may go to the regular one chapter a week schedule. Remember: VOTING WILL BE CLOSED BY THE END OF THE DAY! DO NOT SEND IN ANYMORE VOTES AFTER JAN. 25th! I WILL NOT COUNT THEM! I'll post the winning fics on the next chapter and my tumblr page (basically the weekend). So last minute voters better hop on and vote! Thanks for everything and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry if the action is a bit rushed or too short and that I posted this a little late. Honestly, with school back up, I wanted to finish this quick, plus my dorm just suffered through a snowstorm so computers were down for a while. Anyway, on with the show:

"Come on, Nino," begged Alya, struggling under Marinette's near deadweight, "Hurry!"

"I'm trying," remarked Nino, trying hard not to trip over his own two feet, "We should've gone towards the hospital!"

"The hospital housing all his victims?! Who knows if he has that place scoped out!" Alya shouted, "Plus, who would have helped us there? All the police officers are out combing the city."

"You know it's ironic that the one time we really need the police, we can't find a single one!" Nino gasped.

The two students were half jogging up towards the stretch of road parallel to the Seine, carrying the half unconscious Marinette over their shoulders. After Chat Noir had thrown Hector, the Incubus, or whoever it was, out the window, the two jumped into action and proceeded to get Marinette as far way from Hector as possible. Although part of Alya wished she could have stayed and taped the fight, another, more dominant , part of her said to forget the fight and to get her friend to safety. Hence the three trampling down the road, looking for somewhere to take shelter.

At first, the pair started to head towards the hospital, but Alya stopped them upon realizing that the nearest hospital was the one housing all of the Incubus' previous victims. Alya felt going there would be like shining a huge red flag for Hector to find them. Not only that, but there wouldn't be any police there to protect them as most were out doing the patrol since the curfew was instated. The most they would find would be a few security guards, maybe a plain-clothes man with a taser or gun, but that would be it. And exactly how effective was a taser or a gun against a super-powered akuma?

"We have to find someplace that Hector won't think about searching," said Alya.

"What about your house?" Nino suggested, "It's nearby right?"

"Uh...my house wouldn't be the best..." trailed off Alya.

"Hector's been to your house, hasn't he?" Nino accused.

"One time!" Alya shouted, "One time for my Ladyhunts! What about your house?"

Nino froze. "My house isn't good either."

"He's been there too?!" Alya said in disbelief.

"Only one time to pick up his book that I borrowed," answered Nino, "And he was in the neighborhood, so..."

The DJ was cut off by the sounds of moaning and groaning coming from the blunette they were carrying. "Too loud..." Marinette mumbled under her breath.

"Marinette!" Alya gasped in relief, "Oh thank god you're awake! Are you alright? Can you walk?"

Nino and Alya stopped and helped Marinette get steady on her feet. Marinette shivered, her robe was open and the winter air nipped at her exposed skin. Alya helped close her robe, keeping one of her arms around Marinette in case the girl lost her balance. Despite the annoying buzzing in the back of her head, Marinette took a look around her surrounding and saw that her friends had carried her a fairly long distance from her home. They were traveling along the Seine River and had just passed Notre Dame, the Hotel Dieu, Sainte-Chapelle and the Pont Neuf bridge.

"Where's Chat Noir?" she asked, "And what happen to Hector?"

"Chat Noir pushed Hector out the window and went after him," answered Nino, "We carried you away in case Hector tries to go after you."

"I need to go back," said Marinette, turning her body towards the direction of her home, "I need something..."

"Are you crazy!?" Alya exclaimed, yanking her forward, "Whatever you need isn't important! We need to get away or Hector will find us!"

"But..." trailed Marinette but was silenced when she felt some small movement in the pocket of her robe. Alya took this silence as acceptance and proceed to lead Marinette forward.

"What about the police station?" asked Nino, "There's one a couple blocks from here! There are bound to be some officers there."

"Great, let's just cross the bridge and we'll be home free!" cheered Alya, pushing herself and her friends onward.

Marinette struggled to keep up with her friends' pace while she glanced down at her pocket, barely seeing a flash of red. Tikki! She didn't know how, but somehow Tikki had managed to sneak herself in Marinette's pocket without Alya or Nino noticing her. Tikki looked up at her, her big blue eyes shinning with worry and fear. The tiny kwami had witness Hector morph into this horrific monster and attempt to squeeze the life out of her Mircaulous holder. Though she wasn't a stranger to akumatized villains attacking her Ladybugs, it still didn't diminish the shock value to her.

Tikki felt so stupid for not realizing it sooner. Had her senses diminished during the ages? Was she too used to the typical, flashy villains that she forgot to take into account the more, sneaky and truly frightening akumas? Whatever it was, she couldn't dwell on it now. Before Hector was ousted as the akuma, Tikki sensed Plagg's energy nearby, as well as multiple footsteps below the room, too faint for Marinette or Hector to notice. But Tikki did and once Hector started attacking Marinette, Tikki targeted the mannequins, toppling them over, making sure they made as much noise as possible to alert Chat Noir and the people below. It worked and Chat Noir, Alya and Nino came bursting into the room.

After Chat Noir jumped out of the window, Tikki immediately made her way towards Marinette and her friends. As Alya and Nino struggled down the stairs, Tikki took that opportunity to climb into Marinette's pocket, hoping against all hope that her charge would be able to recover enough strength to transform into Ladybug. So far, it didn't seem possible.

As the trio neared the entrance to Pont des Arts, Marinette felt that cold feeling of dread wash over her. Her eyes shifted from left to right, looking for Hector. She knew he was here. How she knew, she couldn't say, but she could feel it. As they got closer to the bridge, that feeling grew worse until Marinette felt like she was going to pass out. Alya pointed ahead, "Come on! Just over the bridge and we're home free! Nino, help me with Marinette, she's lagging..."

"Perhaps I can be of assist," said a smooth and familiar voice.

Alya and Nino shrieked and jumped back, dragging Marinette with them. Standing a few feet ahead, blocking the entrance to the bridge was Hector. Since they hadn't witness the fight between Chat Noir and Hector, they were undoubtedly freaked out by his gouged out eye and the blood staining half of his face and the front of his clothing.

"What? Oh this..." Hector smiled wickedly as he pointed to his empty eye socket, "Just a little incident with that mangy alley cat. Don't worry, after I'm finish with him, I'm sure he would gladly 'donate' one of his eyes to me."

Marinette felt bile rising up in her throat as saw what Chat, _her_ Chat, her partner  & friend, had done. She knew he would have been angry, furious even, but mad enough to do _that_?! She never image such brutality coming from that pun-loving feline. The action both scared and, strangely enough, touched her, but she wonder if her Miraculous Healing Light would be able to fix it. As much as Hector frightened her, it was the akuma that was responsible, not the person underneath.

Despite it all, the missing eye and blood splatter made Hector look even more ghoulish than before, his smile, teeth razor sharp, didn't help with the matter either. He held out his hand towards them, actually expecting Nino and Alya to hand Marinette over. "As cliché as this sound, we can do this the easy way or the hard way," said Hector.

"Alya, take Marinette and run," said Nino, pushing the blunette onto the blogger.

Alya didn't question as she half drag, half ran with Marinette lagging behind. Nino grabbed a nearby trashcan and took a swing at Hector. Unfortunately, Nino wasn't half as strong or as skilled as Chat Noir and Hector simply grabbed the trash can and chucked it away. "Here's some advice, Nino," snickered Hector, grabbing the boy by the collar, "Don't try to be a hero. Alya can't like you if you're dead."

After that, Hector tossed the boy into the Seine River. Alya and Marinette turned back when they heard the splash and was shocked to see Nino popping his head up from the water. Alya saw Hector coming closer and shoved Marinette towards the streets. "Go!" Alya yelled, picking up a large stick, "We can't stop him but we can hold him off until Ladybug and Chat Noir get here."

Marinette stared back at Alya in horror as she ran at Hector, swinging the stick. Hector didn't bother to dodge it and let Alya hit him with her 'weapon', having it break in half on contact. Marinette couldn't watch as her friend jumped back, narrowly missing Hector's swing as she search for something else to defend herself. "What are you standing around for?! RUN!" ordered Alya.

Reluctantly, Marinette did was she was told and started staggering towards the roads. She never felt so useless! She was in no condition to become Ladybug and now her friends were trying to pick up her slack. She was scared for them, she knew Hector wouldn't go after them but he would use them against her. Why did she have to ignore her gut feeling!? Why did she make all those excuses?! But Marinette knew why, her friends had loved Hector so much. Everyone had praised Hector, put the guy on a pedestal and had everyone eating out of the palm of his hands.

Hector Boucher was a perfect fraud. Handsome, wealthy, well-connected and intelligent, a gentleman to all and an enemy to 'none'. And they all fell for it. Everyone couldn't see pass the lies or underlying malice he had. Marinette had, but peer pressure and the need to please her friends forced her to squash her suspicion and let Hector into her life. ' _If I survive this_ ,' thought Marinette, ducking into an alley, ' _I'm never going to doubt my gut instinct ever again_!'

Unfortunately, between running for her life, the fear and her already low energy, Marinette collapsed halfway. She gripped the dirty brick wall, trying to pull herself up but only succeeded in tearing her fingernails. Huffing, Marinette opened her robe's pocket and saw Tikki looking up at her. "Tikki, you okay in there?" asked Marinette.

"Am I okay?! Marinette, you're the one that needs help!" yelled Tikki, "You need to get out of here before Hector finds...MARINETTE, LOOK OUT!"

Suddenly, her arm was wrenched back and her limp body was pulled up harshly. Marinette bit her lip in an attempt to prevent her from screaming, her arm was nearly ripped from her socket! Hector was glaring down at her, looking at her as if he was disappointed in her. "Really, Marinette?" he asked in a condescending tone, "You had to make this harder than it needs to be? Alya is going to have a concussion because of you."

Marinette's blood ran cold. What had that monster done to Alya?! Hector scoffed at Marinette's frightened expression. "Calm down, I haven't killed her or anything of the sort," he stated, "Just swatted her away when she became too persistent."

The blunette just growled at him as she tried to escape, but it was futile, Hector had already taken the opportunity to drain what little energy she had. "Soon Chat Noir will find your body," Hector's voice started to get a bit distorted in her mind, "He'll blame himself and come charging after me where I'll take him out, take his Miraculous and then go after Ladybug..."

He was cut off as a blur of black swung at him, knocking him away from Marinette. Chat Noir caught Marinette before she fell to the ground, then proceed to pick her up and immediately climb up to the rooftops. Marinette felt a wave of deja-vu as Chat Noir carried her several homes away from Hector, the winter wind whipping her face and hair as she held onto the boy. Like before, he ran to the nearest hotel roof, Le Grand Paris, and set her down near the entrance/exit door. "You okay?" Chat asked, "Still conscious in there."

Marinette nodded weakly, rubbing her eyes in order to stay away. Chat Noir looked around, expecting to see Hector following them but didn't. "Okay, stay here," began Chat Noir, "Actually, don't! When you can, go down stairs and call the police. Call your parents too."

"Wait! Alya and Nino...they're still there!" cried Marinette, "My friends...Hector will..."

Chat pressed a clawed finger to her lips. "Don't worry, I won't let Hector hurt anyone," said Chat Noir.

He didn't waste a second and went charging back towards the Seine where Hector was. Once gone, Marinette opened up her pocket and allowed Tikki to fly out. "Tikki...do you think I can transform into Ladybug?"

"No! Absolutely not!" cried Tikki, "You barely have enough energy to stand up, let alone fight!"

"But Chat Noir, Alya and Nino need Ladybug!" replied Marinette, "Hector's akuma can't be purified without Ladybug's power. And you've seen what Chat has done to him. What if his next attack kills him?!"

Marinette couldn't erase that gruesome sight of Hector with one of his eyes ripped out. She understood Chat's anger towards Hector but this was overkill! She could also see that Chat was still angry at Hector and was worried whether he was going to 'finish him off' or not. "Tikki...lend me some of your energy again."

"What?" Tikki gasped, "No! If I lend you my energy, the backlash you'll get after the transformation wears off will be worse! You could permanently damage your body!"

"I don't care," replied Marinette, struggling to get up, "If I don't stop Hector now, I'll never get another chance. Either he'll find someway to convince Hawk Moth to let him keep his powers or Hawk Moth will forcibly removes the akuma and the Sleeping Beauties might never wake up! Please, Tikki! I promised those girls and their families I would stop whoever doing this."

Tikki stared up at her and sighed. Marinette had a special way of being both sweet and selfless yet stubborn and reckless. Getting up on shaky legs, Marinette found her strength to activate her earrings. "Tikki, spots on!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

Nino, who had fished himself out of the cold Seine River, ran over to Alya who was nursing her bleeding arm. After another failed attempt to hurt Hector with a discarded metal rod, Hector got annoyed with Alya, picked her up by her neck and threw her a few feet away from him. She landed on her arm, tearing her sleeve and scraping her skin badly. Although it was only the skin was torn, it did sting and bled profusely.

When Nino got near her, Alya had already torn off the remains of her sleeve and used it as makeshift bandages. Nino knelt down next to her and helped her up, trying not to get her wet. "You okay? Is the wound deep?" Nino asked, "Where's Marinette?"

"Gone," answered Alya, her face twisted in pain, "Hopefully, we held Hector off in time for Marinette to find someplace to escape to."

"You did," replied Hector, popping up a few feet away, "And now I'm pissed."

Nino and Alya jumped back, again Nino pushed Alya behind him. "Though it wasn't really you," continued Hector, "It was that mangy alley cat. Oh well, he'll come back soon once Marinette tells him about you two. In the meantime, I am quite famished. Alya, if you would be so kind?"

"Bite me!" hissed Alya.

"I'm not into that sort of thing," smirked Hector, "I just want you're life force."

Before Hector got any closer, he instinctively ducked, Chat Noir's baton missing his head by an inch. The Incubus pushed himself away from the hissing superhero as Alya and Nino took cover behind him. "You two okay?" asked Chat Noir, getting into a defensive stance. He then saw Alya's bleeding arm. "Did he do that?"

"Kinda," replied Alya, wincing as she tried to peel the blood-soaked fabric from her wound, "He threw me across the concrete. Scraped up my elbow."

Chat Noir nodded before turning to Hector. At least the sicko didn't touch Alya or Nino. Hector groaned, he was really getting tired of Chat Noir's interference. Couldn't this mangy cat get a clue and leave him alone? Why was he prolonging Marinette's inevitable fate? Rolling his eyes, he shifted his nails back into his claws. ' _This time I won't miss_ ,' thought Hector, ' _I'll dig my nails into his chest and tear out his heart_.'

He tackled Chat Noir, his claws inches from his body. Chat's baton managed to hold itself together as it clashed against Hector's claws, protecting its wielder from the attack. The fight was a nearly perfect repeat of their previous battle at Marinette's home. Alya and Nino shifted further way as the battle got fiercer. Chat finally managed to get one good hit and slashed at his shoulder. This angered Hector and the Incubus started aiming for Chat's eyes.

Chat gasped and pushed his neck backward, narrowly escaping the sharpen nails reaching for his eyes. "What's the matter, Chat?" hissed Hector, "Afraid of a little cut on your eye?"

"Heck of a way to break the eyes," joked Chat.

Hector groaned. "Eye puns? Really?"

"Yeah," smirked Chat Noir, "That last one was really cornea, wasn't it?"

"Ugh, forget the eyes, I'll just aim for the throat," Hector lunged at the feline superhero again only to be sideswiped.

Once safely behind a nearby wall, Alya pulled out her phone, thankfully still in tact and started recording the fight. "Alya!" Nino hissed, "Really? Now?"

"Sorry," apologized Alya, "Force of habit. I'll call the police and let them know what's happening."

"Call Marinette or her folks!" Nino ordered, "See if they're alright."

As Alya fumbled with her phone, a loud clang rang throughout the area as Hector managed to knock out Chat's baton out of his hands. Chat barely dodged out of another swipe at him before tripping over his own feet and landing on his back. Hector stomped his foot on Chat Noir's stomach, knocking the air out of him. "End of the line, kitty cat," gloated Hector, preparing to claw open Chat.

Before he could attack, a spotted yoyo had come out of nowhere and tied itself around Hector's wrist. Hector was yanked back harshly, tossing the villain off Chat Noir and across the walkway. "Get away from him!" yelled a familiar female voice.

"Ladybug!" cheered Chat Noir, Alya and Nino.

Standing on top of a nearby building was the spotted superhero, Ladybug. After she retracted her yoyo, she jumped, landing a few feet from Chat Noir and jogged towards him. She held out her hand as she helped him up. "Sorry about being late," she said, "I had to take care of some things when I heard about the fight going on in Marinette's neighborhood."

"Not to worry, my Lady," replied Chat Noir, retrieving his baton, "I had everything under control here. Have you seen Marinette? Is she safe?"

"She's fine," answered Ladybug, rubbing her eyes a bit, "She manage to recover a bit before calling a cab to pick her up."

Chat opened his mouth to say something until he saw Ladybug's tired face under the streetlights. "Ladybug, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm just really tired," yawned Ladybug, "No need to worry. Let's just finish them and free the Sleeping Beauty victims."

The two superheroes were snapped out of their conversation when they heard groaning. Hector got back up, cracking his spine, before turning to Ladybug, flashing his sharpen dentures. "Ah, Lady Luck has finally arrived," stated Hector, "I was worried I would have to spend the entire night with that mangy feline."

Ladybug didn't respond but looked down at the black heart pendant dangling around his neck. "The akuma is in his necklace," Ladybug said to Chat Noir, "We need to get it off of him. Think you can cause a distraction?"

Chat Noir rotated one of his arms and a small pop was heard. "Sure," he smiled, flexing his fingers, "Need some pay back anyway."

"Chat Noir," Ladybug replied sternly, "Don't hurt him anymore than he needs to. Remember, it's the akuma's fault, not the person. You went too far with your attacks."

The blonde superhero looked confused until he realized that Ladybug was gesturing to Hector's missing eye. He winced at it. "I'm sorry. I lost control."

"Let's just end this," finished Ladybug as Chat Noir took the lead and went after Hector head on, baton spinning in his hand.

Hector and Chat clashed again as Ladybug looked for an opening to grab the necklace. Once she spotted it, she threw her yoyo. Unfortunately, Hector saw the plan and swiped at Ladybug's yoyo then block another one of Chat's attack. Ladybug groaned as she retracted her yoyo and tried it again, but it failed again. After sideswiping Chat, Hector charged after Ladybug.

Thinking on her feet, Ladybug spun her yoyo in front of her, creating a shield to block Hector's attacks. Hector grunted under his breath, his claws couldn't land a hit on Ladybug. Despite not being able to reach her, Hector was able to push her back with the force of his hits. Chat Noir got back up and kicked the distracted boy away from Ladybug. "We can't fight him forever," stated Chat Noir, breathing heavily.

"It doesn't look like he's getting any tired," said Ladybug as Hector stood in front of them, "We have to end this soon, otherwise, we'll run out of energy before he does."

On cue, Chat's ring started going off, signaling the lost of one of his paws. "I think I can hold him off for a bit longer. Use Lucky Charm to end this." Chat then turns to Hector. "Hey Hector! How about you and I settle this fight once and for all?"

"Fine by me," answered Hector, cracking his knuckles, "I grow tired of your presence."

Again, the two boys clashed, causing more havoc and chaos around them, cracking the concrete below them and destroying any nearby trees and plants. Ladybug ducked behind a tree and threw her yoyo in the air. "Lucky Charm!" Ladybug cheered as a battalion of ladybug insects emerged from the compact and swirled above her and transformed into her luck charm: a robe.

Ladybug grabbed the garment and started at it in confusion. "A robe?" she questioned, before un folding it completely, "...my robe."

Like most Lucky Charms, the ladybug-pattern was all over it but on the inside, curiously, was a plain red color. Turning it inside out, the robe looked similar to her own robe, Marinette's robe, that she had wore while escaping. It then hit her, how she could grab Hector's necklace without him realizing it. ' _Hold him off for a little while longer, Chat_ ,' thought Ladybug as she put on the robe, ' _We'll finally end this nightmare_.'

oOoOoOoOoOo

After Hector flung Chat Noir onto a nearby building, the two fighters took their battles to the rooftops. Ladybug was nowhere in sight and Chat Noir was down to three paws. Chat grit his teeth as he struggled to keep Hector at bay until Ladybug used her Lucky Charm on him but he was growing impatient. Where was she? What was the Lucky Charm? Did she need more time to set up the trap?

"Enough of this," growled Hector, allowing one of Chat's attack to hit him, only for the Incubus to grab the baton and toss it and Chat across the roof, "I don't have time for this foolishness."

Chat dug his claws into the rooftop floor, leaving behind claw marks as he prevented himself from falling off the roof. Sadly, that didn't prevent his baton from slipping out of his grasp. The feline cursed under his breath as he pried his own claws from the floor. Hector turned his head away from Chat and looked towards the road behind him. "You took her to Le Grand Paris hotel, didn't you?" Hector asked, "Marinette, right?"

Chat Noir froze and Hector smiled. "Well, as much as I want to mop the floor with your pathetic self, I believe it's rude to keep a girl waiting. I bid you goodbye."

"No!" yelled Chat as Hector ran across the rooftops towards Le Grand Paris. Chat could no longer wait for Ladybug, he chased after Hector, hoping to stop him or at the very least hold him off until Ladybug could take the necklace. He could only pray that Marinette had found shelter somewhere. Back with Nino and Alya, they had retrieve Chat's baton and were still trying to contact Marinette.

"Why isn't she picking up?" Alya questioned, staring at her phone in anger and frustration.

"Maybe she doesn't have her phone on her," offered Nino, fiddling with Chat Noir's baton, "Did she have it when we left her house?"

"Damn it! She didn't," growled Alya, "Where did Chat Noir leave her? Where did Ladybug go? Ugh!"

"Don't know. I wish we knew Marinette's location-whoa!" Nino gasped and nearly dropped the baton as the top half of it sprung open, popping up a map of Paris on a screen with a paw-print dot on it.

"What's that?" asked Alya, peeking at the screen, "Oh! That's Chat Noir's locator. I remember him using it this one time when they where fighting against this Halloween-villain last year and he hand to find all the kids from our school. Apparently, this gadget tracks anyone in Paris."

"So...does that mean that this is Marinette's location?" he questioned, pointing to the flashing dot.

"It must be! You asked about where she was," exclaimed Alya, pulling Nino by the arm, "Maybe the baton responded to that! Where the dot located at?"

"Uh...it's Le Grand Paris Hotel, the Mayor's hotel! But it looks like it's moving away from it," answered Nino.

"Then lets go!" yelled Alya and yanked him towards the street leading to the hotel. Back with Chat, he and Hector were nearing the hotel. Chat Noir started panicking at this moment. He tried attacking Hector but he was too far away and using Cataclysm would be useless and waste his remaining energy. ' _Please let Marinette be safe, please let Marinette be safe, please let Marinette be safe_ ,' chanted Chat Noir as he tried to catch up with Hector. Hector jumps onto the rooftop of Le Grand Paris but sees no one. Guessing that Marinette probably left, he estimates the time she's would have been alone since Chat Noir had left her and realized that it would only have been less than half an hour.

Taking a chance, Hector leaped off the building just as Chat Noir arrived on the rooftop. The Incubus ran up the street, towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery. ' _If I know Marinette_ ,' thought Hector ' _She would head home to check on her parents_.' To his surprise and Chat's horror, a familiar red-hooded figure was stumbling down the street. Though the body was covered in the red fabric, both boys recognized the red robe and knew it was the one that Marinette had on when she left her home.

' _Why is she out!? Why didn't she call a cab?! Why didn't she stay in the hotel_?!' Chat screamed in his mind as he tried to catch up to Marinette before Hector but failed as Hector reached her first. "Marinette, look out!"

Hector smiled as he grabbed Marinette's clothed arm and yanked her up. She gasped in pain as she was forced on her feet, still shaky and swaying from side to side, giving the impression that she was still weak. Hector grabbed Marinette by the neck, his claws digging into the fabric. Strangely enough, the hood on the robe was pulled over her head, hiding her face. "Why, Hello there Miss Marinette," smiled Hector, trying to peek into the hood, "Why did you run away?" Marinette gasped and tried to wriggled away from Hector but it was useless.

"Hector! Leave her alone!" yelled Chat Noir, "She has nothing to do with this..."

"Save the begging, Chat Noir," sneered Hector, pulling the stumbling Marinette closer, "It's over." Hector held her close as he started to drain her and felt...nothing. Her energy wasn't seeping into him. Hector tried to grab at her hand, thinking it was due to him not being in physical contact only to feel...a gloved hand?

The cloaked Marinette suddenly shot her arm up and snatched Hector's necklace off his neck. "No it's not!"

Hector gasped as the robe fell off to reveal, not Marinette, but a smirking Ladybug, clutching his pendant. "Fooled ya," she laughed before roughly kicking him away. She then turned to Cat Noir and threw the pendant at him. "Chat Noir, destroy it!"

"No!" screamed Hector, trying to reach for the necklace, but failed to. In his anger, he turned to attack Ladybug but she ducked, grabbed his arm and tossed him over her shoulder.

Chat Noir smiled as he yelled out, "Cataclysm!" His hand was covered in dark matter and used it to catch the necklace. It shattered upon impact, the pieces went flying and one large chuck landed a few feet away, a purple butterfly emerging from it and trying to fly into the air. Stripping the robe off, Ladybug traced up the black line of her yoyo, activating it. "You've done enough damage, pesky little akuma," Ladybug stated, twirling her yoyo around, "Time to purify you!"

Like countless times, her yoyo caught the akuma and the compact clamped over it, healing it from the inside. "Gotcha!" cheered Ladybug, before opening the compact again, allowing a bright, white butterfly to flutter out, "Bye, bye, little butterfly." Gripping the robe, Ladybug threw it in the air. "Miraculous Healing Light!"

Hordes of ladybug traveled all throughout the city of Paris, restoring things to their original order. The Dupain-Cheng family bakery and home was fixed, the neighborhood destruction caused by Chat Noir and Hector reverted back to their original state, Hector's shattered necklace was put back together, and the records of Hector Boucher and any of his previous alias were removed, as if they never existed. However, the most repaired by the ladybugs was the hospital. When the ladybug swarmed the hospital, all the hospital personnel and visitors were taken off guard, some panic when they entered the building. One by one, the ladybugs entered rooms occupied by the Sleeping Beauties, briefly covering them then leaving to the next room. Few seconds later, after the ladybugs left, the thirteen girls opened their eyes and rose up from their beds.

Immediately, the hospital was in chaos and celebration. Ladybug and Chat Noir had done it! They had saved the Sleeping Beauty victims! Back with the two superheroes, Hector laid kneeling on the ground as a black matter covered him and disappear. Hector, or rather Henry, looked just like he did in Victoria's photo: fairly average. He was dressed in shirt and jeans, looking utterly confused. "What happen? Where am I?" he mumbled, looking around wildly, trying to recognize the street he was on.

"Pound it!" cheered Chat Noir and Ladybug, fist bumping.

Ladybug's earring started beeping, she was nearing her last dot and time running out very quickly. "Uh, got to go!" stuttered Ladybug, reaching for her yoyo.

"Ladybug, wait!" Ladybug turned around and saw Alya and Nino running up to her, she was waving Chat's staff in her hand, "Have you seen Marinette? Chat's staff says she's suppose to be around here!"

"Uh, I sent Marinette home," replied Ladybug, "Try going to her house. Gotta go! Bye!"

She quickly tied her yoyo to a nearby gutter and swung herself up onto the rooftops, started racing across them towards home. Her mother and father would be home at this time, plus the police would no doubt have been called and still be swarming the neighborhood as well. They would discover her gone and, if they had made it back before the Miraculous Healing Light fixed the house, they would be panicking and going to the cops. She tried doubling her speed but the beeping from her earring was both annoying and giving her a headache.

' _You're going to run out of power_!' shrieked Tikki in her head, her voice panicking, ' _Quick, get on the street or you'll pass out on the roof! Or worse, fall off_!'

' _No! I can make it! I_...' Ladybug nearly tripped over her feet when her Miraculous beeped again.

Realizing that she had mere seconds before the transformation wore off, Ladybug hopped onto the ground. The moment her foot touch the ground, her Miraculous ran out of power and her costume evaporated, revealing a dishevel Marinette in her pajamas and robe. Marinette gasped as the energy backlash Tikki had warned her about nearly knocked her off her feet. Tikki was not kidding when she said the backlash would hurt her, it felt she had been run over by a train, a steamroller and a tank all at once. She nearly choked on her ownsaliva as precious air was sucked out of her lungs. Marinette crumpled to the ground as she struggled to get onto her knees.

Tikki flew up to her face, looking just as haggard as her but tried to keep her awake. "Don't fall asleep!" Tikki warned, lightly slapping Marinette's cheeks, "Keep your eyes open! We need to call someone!"

Marinette reached for her robe's pocket but realized that she had left her phone back in her room, unable to get it as Nino and Alya escorted her out. Faintly, she could hear multiple voices coming from up the street, as well as blinking lights and sirens. She looked up and read the street signs and saw that she was only a few blocks from her home! Again, Marinette struggled to get on her knees but there was literally no strength in her body. She laid there limp, struggling to breathe, trying to gather her thoughts. Why didn't the Miraculous Healing Light fix her? Was it because she was the akuma's latest victim? Or was she just suffering the effects of borrowing Tikki's energy? She tried again to get up, she had to get towards at least the corner of the street were she could be visible if they started searching for her.

The bluenette groaned, laying her head back down on the cold concrete. "So sleepy..." muttered Marinette, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. Tikki panicked and tried harder to keep her awake, going so far as to bite at her skin and tug at her hair. "Marinette, please!" begged Tikki, "Don't fall asleep!"

"I can't," whispered Marinette, "I'm...just...so..."

Suddenly, Tikki and Marinette heard yelling from behind her. Marinette struggled to look back but Tikki, who had a good view, squeaked and flew into her pocket. Marinette sighed as she closed her eyes, relaxing her body and letting the darkness cover her as the voice of Chat Noir, Alya and Nino started screaming her name.

"MARINETTE!" Alya's voice pierced the air as the blogger ran up behind Chat Noir. The feline superhero knelt down and flipped Marinette onto her back, shaking her slightly to wake her up. But her eyes were glazed over, unfocused, and her skin was unnaturally pale. "Mari, Mari, say something!" cried Alya.

The bluenette didn't say anything, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Alya started screaming for her to wake up when Chat Noir scooped her and started jogging towards the police up the street, careful not to jostle Marinette's body too much. As her vision faded to black, Marinette took comfort in her partner's arms. ' _At least this nightmare is finally over_.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! Finally! One more chapter and I'll have completed Oleanders & Belladonnas. Wow, a fic that I actually finished. That's a first! Again, sorry if the chapter seems a bit rush. Had a bit of a rushed schedule for my class and wanted to get this chapter out to you all. Again, sorry if there are any grammar errors and such, please tell me if you see any so that I can go back and fix it.
> 
> Also, today is the last day of voting! No more votes after today! I'm going to tally them all up and announce the winners on my last chapter and on tumblr. Thanks for all your help and I hope you'll follow my other fics once I get them out there.
> 
> Read & Review!


	14. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is as it should be...or rather the horror is over and people can start to move on. Ladybug and Chat Noir have saved the day once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! O&B is finally completed! My first fic I have started and finished XD
> 
> School is starting to pick up a bit, hopefully that will not deter me from writing my next ML fic. I'll announce the winner(s) of the poll at the end of the chapter AND on my tumblr page. Go check them out AFTER you finish reading it. Also, some people wanted a little LadyNoir, MariChat, Adrienette scene so I put in short Adrienette and MariChat scene in it. I also wanted to thank everyone for sticking with me and my fix, especially with the grammar errors and the crazy update schedule. Hopefully, I'll see some of you follow me to my next few fics.
> 
> Anyway, on with the show:

Chapter 14: Resolution

Rhythmic beating echoed back and forth in her head, worsening her migraine. Slowly, Marinette's conscious started to catch up with her as she opened her eyes, only for them to shut as the fluorescent lights above blinded her. She had enough strength in her arm for her to use it as a shield against the lights, opening them again. The ceiling was unfamiliar, white and bland, unlike her warm, pink room and the smell of antiseptic, bleach and various medicines penetrated the air.

On her left, Marinette could make out a blonde and black lump sleeping on a chair next to her bed. She squinted, trying to get more details, but all it did was irritate her eyesight. The blonde lump started to move, yawning from what she could hear and turned to her. It shot up out of the seat and ran towards her. "Marinette!" he cried, the figure now identified as male, "You're awake! I'm so glad, you gave us all a heart att-cat."

"Chat?" Marinette said groggily, "Ugh, that has to be your worst pun."

"W-what?" the voice stuttered, very un-Chat like. After a few second, her vision focused and, to her horror and embarrassment, it wasn't Chat Noir but rather Adrien.

"A-Adrien, oh god I'm so sorry," stammered Marinette, her voice cracking a bit, "I thought you were...I mean you sounded like...that awful pun...not that you're awful! It was just the pun and it sounds like something Chat would say and er..."

Adrien started laughing and waved off Marinette's concern. "It's fine. I...er...borrowed the pun from Chat Noir. He was here all night before he left. We chatted, no pun intended, for a bit and we traded jokes or rather puns."

"Oh...okay," smiled Marinette, mentally smacking herself for her mistake. ' _Honestly, how could I confused Adrien for Chat Noir_?'

"Yeah," sighed Adrien, looking a bit relieved, "Um, I'll go find your parents and the doctor. I'll be right back! Try not to move too much, you might end up hurting yourself with the tubes." Then he walked out the room, leaving Marinette alone and a bit confused.

' _Tubes_?' Marinette thought, looking down. It was then that she notice the tubes and bandages on her arms, liquid from an IV flowing into her veins. Turning her head to the side, Marinette saw that there were also guard rails installed on her bed. Confused, she peered over the rails to see white walls, heart monitors and a bunch of other machines she didn't know what they were called or what they did, a rolling table at the foot of her bed with tiny bottles and vials of colorless liquids and a TV overhead. There was also a chair and nightstand on the opposite side of her bed, her robe was folded neatly onto the seat that Adrien was perviously sleeping in.

' _I'm in the hospital_ ,' thought Marinette, recognition washing over her face as she leaned back onto her pillow. ' _I must have been in worst shape then I thought after I de-transformed. I wonder if the doctors noticed that I had been a victim of the Incubus_?'

On cue, Dr. Lapointe walked in, shocked when she saw that Marinette was awake, but smiled. "Well, well, well, our last Sleeping Beauty has awakened."

"What?!" croaked Marinette, wincing when she sat up too fast for her sore body to process.

"Whoa there! Not too fast," warned the doctor, helping Marinette back into the laying position, "You can't move that fast after sleeping for three days."

"Three days!" squeaked Marinette, her eyes widen.

Dr. Lapointe nodded. "Yeah, when your friends brought you in, a lot of personnels were worried that you were another of the Parisian Incubus's victims and Ladybug's power didn't save you. Thankfully, I was on staff and I was able to quickly check you over and see that you were suffering from exhaustion and that you were just sleeping. Chat Noir and your friend Alya nearly dropped to the floor in relief when they heard that."

Marinette sighed at that bit of news, worried since her powers couldn't heal her while she was still Ladybug. Dr. Lapointe fluffed her pillow and fixed her covers, still talking. "Same with all the other Sleeping Beauties. When they woke up, they were exhausted, groggy, some extremely cranky, and wanted to sleep. All your friends and family came by to visit. Heck, I had to push your parents and that Alya girl out after they stayed for two days in a row. See! They left all those get-well gifts."

The bluenette turned to the counter that was decorated with multiple gift bags, balloons, cards and a plastic container with a few treats from her parent's shop. ' _How did I miss that_?' thought Marinette. "Thank you for everything," said Marinette, smiling weakly.

"Oh, honey, it's my job," smiled Dr. Lapointe, leaning in, "And too be honest, I rather be taking care of you then some of my other patients..."

Suddenly a shrieking voice echoed in the hall. "Where is my nurse?! Tell her to take back this food! It's disgusting! I asked for foie gras and they serve me pasta?! DADDY! Get me my personal chef!"

Dr. Lapointe groaned in annoyance. "Looks like Miss Lombardi is awake," groaned the doctor, heading towards the door, "I better go pacify her before that poor nurse gets harassed by her and her father."

Once the good doctor was gone, Marinette sat up a bit and started searching the room. With her memory coming back, she recalled that last few moments before she blacked out and nearly panic when she saw the robe on the chair. "Tikki?" she whispered, "Tikki are you here?"

Small shuffling emerged from the plastic container housing the baked goods before it popped open. A tiny red dot shot out of the pile of cookies and millie-feuilles and landed on Marinette's lap. Tikki shining face and joyous expression was contagious as a similar smile spread across Marinette's face as she cupped the tiny kwami in her hand and kissed her on her head. "Enjoying my parents' pastries?"

"You know I do," chirped Tikki, "They own the best bakery in all of Paris!"

The two female giggled for a few minutes, taking in the calm air around him. "I'm sorry," blurted Marinette, "For making you go through that."

Tikki shook her head. "You were reckless, you nearly damaged your body," Tikki reiterated, "I could feel you heart rapidly beating in your chest while we were transformed. Your muscles tighten, body heat rose, it was pure luck the Miraculous ran out when it did. A couple more seconds would have caused your body to overhead or suffer a heart attack."

"Sorry," apologized Marinette a second time, "I didn't realize how much of a risk it is just to borrow energy from you."

"It's because my energy is different than human energy," Tikki explained, "Kwamis contain a very pure, thermal and spiritual form of energy, energy that most humans can't really harness without suffering the negative side effects. Basically, it's like taking a large dose of concentrated adrenaline and shooting it into your veins. You're extremely lucky that you're both my Miraculous holder and a human that can borrow my energy. But please...don't ever do that again."

"I'll try," said Marinette, "At least we saved those girls and Hector..."

"Henry," corrected Tikki, "Plagg, Chat Noir's kwami, told me the infected boy is called Henry."

"Umm...about the eye," muttered Marinette, pointing to you own eye. She couldn't really remember much after they defeated Hector...er, Henry as her body was getting hot and become lightheaded.

"Don't worry, the Miraculous Healing Light healed his eye," stated Tikki, "He may have some phantom pain but that will pass over a while. You really need to tell Chat Noir to NEVER do that again."

"Yeah, I will," agreed Marinette. At the time, she was too tired to properly scold Chat, plus they were in the middle of a battle. But she swore, the next time they meet, kitty cat was getting a time out!

"Oh! Did anyone see me release my transformation?" Marinette asked, looking around the room, "Did Adrien or Alya..."

"Calm down, Mari," smiled Tikki, "I'm over 5,000 years old! You don't think I know a trick or two about hiding from other humans. No one saw the transformation run out and I stayed inside your robe pocket until the others fell asleep. Ladybug's secret is safe."

"Thank goodness," signed Marinette in relief.

Voices started filling the hall outside her room, along with the sounds of rushing footsteps, making Marinette and Tikki freeze. Someone started knocking on the door and Marinette quickly motioned Tikki to hid, taking cover underneath Marinette's bed. "Excuse me," said a familiar voice, "Dr. Lapointe, do you mind if we come in?"

"You can come in, Alya," said Marinette, clearing a throat a bit.

Immediately, the door slammed open and a crying Alya ran up and hugged Marinette. "Marinette!" cried Alya, happy tears pouring down her face, "You're awake!"

Before Marinette could get a word in, she and Alya were tackled by two other bodies. Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng were crying even harder as they hugged their baby girl. She could here her mother muttering things in both French and Mandarin, though she couldn't understand half of it but Marinette could make out some phrases as Sabine was thank God for everything. Once she was released for air, she spotted her entire class behind her folks.

Rose bounced up to her with a bouquet of bright pink, yellow and white flowers with the other students in tow. "Hi Marinette!" chirped Rose, presented her the flowers, "I hope you feeling better. These are for you!"

"We heard what happen," stated Jukela, "How Hector was the Incubus and he went after you."

"Yeah..." muttered Marinette, squirming a bit. She really didn't want to talk about that now. "How'd you find out?"

"Alya," they all chanted, turning to the blogger. Marinette raised an eyebrow at her friend before she replied. "Uh, I kinda recorded a bit of the flight between him and the Lucky Duo. Just as proof since some people didn't believe me when I said that Hector was the akimbo-villain! Namely Chloe."

Speaking of the spoiled blonde, Marinette notice that Chloe wasn't here. Neither was Sabrina. That didn't really surprise her, Chloe rarely cared for anyone one or anything besides herself. Though she would have at least thought Sabrina would be here, then again if Chloe didn't want it, Sabrina wouldn't do it. Plus with amount of flirty and seducing she did to Hector, it not impossible that she would flat out refuse to believe some handsome boy was using her. "NOBODY uses Chloe Bourgeois!" Chloe screamed one time after she was tricked by the daughter of her father's political rival.

While everyone was showering her with gifts and homemade card, Marinette was currently praising a blushing Nathaneal on his beautiful card, she suddenly heard Alya scoff behind her. "Are you kidding me?" she said as pressed the volume up on the remote.

On the tiny, somewhat old TV screen was the front entrance of the Hotel Dieu hospital. On camera was Nadja Chamack, dressed in her signature multiple purple hue pantsuit, with a microphone held up to the face of a 'crying' Chloe Bourgeois. "It was awful!" cried Chloe, grabbing out a gold-threaded handkerchief Sabrina, off camera, gave to her, "The Parisian Incubus was relentless when he was after me! Had it not been for my father hiring those bodyguards, I could have ended up here!"

"So you didn't go out with him?" Nadja asked.

"Never! He tried, mind you but I was too smart for him," replied Chloe haughtily, her sobbing stopped for a moment before she want back to dabbing her eyes.

"The latest victim, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, she was a classmates of yours," reported Chamack, pushing the microphone closer, "Did you know her? Was she your friend?"

"We weren't friends," sneered Chloe then switched back to her pitiful act, "But I tried to keep her away from Hector, but she just wouldn't listen."

"Ugh! I can't believe her," hissed Alya, "You end up in the hospital and she tried to make it all about here while trying to slander you."

"Hey Alya," said Marinette, "Why don't you go and 'help' Chloe with her story. Don't still have video of her trying to 'push Hector away?.'"

"Yes," Alya smiled deviously, "As a matter a fact, I do. Excuse while I go 'help' Chloe."

"Oh, this outta be good," smiled Alix, following Alya out the door, "Anyone else wanna watch?"

Max, Kim, and Ivan followed the pink-haired girl out to view the spectacle while the others stayed behind to shower Marinette with gifts, cards and condolences, as well as snack on some of the many tasty treats the Dupain-Chengs brought over. They even enjoyed Alya showing up on screen and verbally tearing into Chloe's story, embarrassing the blonde on TV. The best part, in Marinette's opinion, was Adrien taking a seat next to her in bed. She could barely contain her joy and had to look down every once in a while when she felt her cheeks get too hot.

' _Eek! He's so close_!' Marinette squealed in her head, gripping her mug of chocolat chaud. Occasionally, Adrien's hand would brush up against her and Marinette had to lie about the room being warm to explain away her hot face.

The group spent a few more hours in the room, filling Marinette in on what had happen while she was out: all the Sleeping Beauties had woken up, reporters charging into the hospital to interview them, some victims left the hospital as soon as they were checked over by their doctors, and the fight between the Lucky Duo and the Incubus went viral on the Ladyblog. "Oh, and the police are still debating on whether or not to arrest the Incubus," relayed Juleka.

"But wait, the Incubus was possessed," argued Marinette, "It wasn't like he did this intentionally. Beside, the police never went after akuma victims before, knowing the situation."

"We know and the police don't want to do it, but some of the more wealthy families are pressuring the police," replied Alya, "Though I doubt they going to go through with it seeing as it was an akuma victim and the public isn't exactly happy."

"So it's publicity they are looking for," replied Marinette, finishing up her plate of sweets.

"Pretty much," stated Adrien. Suddenly, he's phone started ringing and he groaned when he looked at the screen. "I gotta go. Nathalie wants me home for dinner and in bed for an early morning shoot." He jumped off the bed and turned to Marinette, smiling before hugging her. "I'll come and visit you tomorrow."

"O-okay," stuttered Marinette, blushing a bit and waving as Adrien left.

A few minutes after Adrien left, the others started following suit until only her parents and Alya were there. They had stayed with her until it was way pass visiting hours and the Dr. Lapointe and a few nurses had to shoo them out so Marinette could get a good night's rest. The coma ward was quiet, the families of the victims long gone and most of the girls were either sleeping or watching late night television. Tikki flew out from her hiding spot to watch some shows on the television while eating the leftover sweets.

"You know, you going to get fat from all those sweets," giggled Marinette, poking the tiny kwami in the stomach.

"No I won't," said Tikki in a sing-sung voice, "Everything I eat is transferred into energy. I'll always stay tiny and cute!"

Marinette was left giggling until she heard faint tapping at her door. Tikki flew into hiding before Marinette could breathe a word and the door open, revealing a familiar black leather-clad figure. "Chat Noir?" Marinette said, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you woke up. Thankfully the nurses extended visiting hours to superheroes," smiled Chat, his hands behind his back, "I got something for you!"

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Uh, uh, close your eyes," sang Chat."

Marinette huffed but obliged. She could hear Chat Noir's footsteps walking closer to you, the something rustling behind his back and the smell of some fancy cologne wafted into her nose. Before she could ask, the smell of flowers replaced the musty cologne. "Okay! Open them!" Chat said.

Yellow roses and pink tulips covered her vision as Chat held out a tastefully done bouquet. Marinette was shock but also touched by the gesture as she held them in her hands. "Chat...they're beautiful," she said, looking over the fully bloomed flowers, "You didn't have to..."

"But I wanted to," replied Chat, looking dejected, "You told me about Hector...told me how uncomfortable he made you feel and I ignored you."

"You never met Hector," stated the bluenette, "You couldn't have know."

' _Lies. I did know him and I still was blind to it_ ,' Chat thought, "I wanted to bring you this as sort of an apology for want happened. I wanted to use pink roses since you like pink but the flower shop was out. Yellow roses are good too, the lady said they represent friendship."

"They're fine, Chat. I love them," Marinette took a deep whiff of the plant's aromas. Taking a peek at Chat, she noticed what he was wearing. "You're wearing the coat I design."

"Huh?" Chat looked down and blushed, "Oh...yeah! After I dropped you off at the hospital, I went back to your home to check on your house. I heard that Hector trashed it so I went to see if Ladybug's Healing Light managed to fix it. And then I saw the box with my name on it..."

"So you went into my room and took the present," smirked the bluenette.

"I'm sorry! I know that sounds so wrong and really bad and you probably hate me for going into your room without permission and taking the gift while you were in the hospital..." Chat was cut off by Marientte laughter.

"No, no, it's fine, Chat," laughed Marinette, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I made it for you anyway. Plus it's better you have the jacket now since the weather is getting colder."

"Yeah..." replied Chat, rubbing the back of his head, "Will you be okay?"

"I'll survive," Marinette answered, "They doctor says that I'll probably be released tomorrow."

"That's great!" Chat cheered.

There was a silence between them for a few seconds before Marinette opened her mouth and said, "Thank you. For saving me."

"Oh it wasn't just me," waved off Chat, "It was mostly Ladybug..."

"No," Marinette cut him off, "You saved my life. If you hadn't come when you did, I would have become another victim lying in the coma ward. My parents would have been the ones to find my body. I never want them to see me like that. So...thank you, for everything."

"No problem," smiled Chat Noir, "It's kinda part of the whole 'superhero' business."

"Doesn't that mean you wouldn't have come if you weren't a superhero?" Marinette questioned.

Without thinking, Chat blurted out, "NO! I would have come regardless if I was a superhero or not."

"Then don't say 'it's just part of a superhero's duty,'" said Marinette, "You care, not because you're a superhero but because it's who you are. You care about people. You came because you care."

"Oh course I care! I couldn't imagine anyone hurting you," replied Chat Noir, "I would never forgive myself if anything bad happens to you."

Marinette blushed at that and hid her face behind the bouquet. "Thanks. I guess I'll see you later."

"What? Does my princess want me to leave? So soon?" asked Chat with a fake look of distress on him, "How cruel! I don't even get a kiss for my hard work?"

Before Chat said another word, Marinette gave him a quick kiss. Nothing serious, just a peck on the cheek but after a few seconds, both teens were left blushing. Marinette tried to bury her face into the tulips and roses, not bearing to look at Chat in the eyes. Said Chat had a look of shock, embarrassment and bliss all mixed together. ' _Did I/she really just do that_?!' they both thought.

Thankfully, the awkward silence was broken when a nurse came in and said that visiting hours for superheroes were now over. "G-guess I'll have to go," stuttered Chat Noir, "Have a good night princess."

"Y-you too," blushed Marinette as she watch Chat Noir leave, leaving her with her thoughts. ' _I just kissed Chat Noir. I just kissed that flirty, cocky cat. Willingly_...'

"What was that about?" asked the nurse.

"Excuse me," said Marinette, "But could you lower the medication I'm taking. I think they're making me loopy and do irrational things."

"Really?" the nurse looked at the clipboard, "But all you're taking is fluids and some muscle relaxers."

"Just lower the doses," ordered Marinette, again burying her face in her flowers.

After the nurse left, Tikki came out again, this time giggling. "Not a word, Tikki!" glared Marinette. The tiny kwami didn't saw a word but just continue to giggle, taking a spot of her shoulder to admire the flowers. They were a bit crushed due to Marinette planting her face on them, but that still didn't away the sheer beauty of the plants.

"Hey look!" Tikki said, pointing to the center flower, "That rose is yellow with red tips!"

"Oh yeah," muttered Marinette, pulling out said yellow and red rose, examining it. That flower was the only one that wasn't crushed by Marinette's face and was fully opened. "Hmm, guess the person doing the bouquet must have run out of fully yellow roses."

Tikki smiled but didn't say anything as Marinette leaned back, placing the bouquet on the nightstand but still keeping the yellow and red rose in her hand. Soon, the girl fell asleep, the flower still clutched in between her fingers. The kwami wondered if it was fate, the red-tipped yellow rose. She wonder if she should tell Marinette the meaning of the plant but decided against it.

"I'll let fate work its magic," whispered Tikki, ducking under the covers and falling asleep next to her charge.

oOoOoOoOo

Chat Noir walked down the quiet coma ward towards the exit. Despite all the Sleeping Beauties being cured, the place still gave him the creeps. He absentmindedly rubbed the cheek Marinette kissed and thought back on how soft her lips were, blushing slightly as he thought that. He tried hard to fight off a smile spreading across his face. ' _Damn it! I love Ladybug! I mean, Marinette is cute and sweet and really pretty_...'

Distracted by his thoughts, he nearly bumped into a night shift nurse coming by with a rolling cart filled with tiny vases of flowers. "Oh! So sorry!" apologize Chat, holding his hand up in surrender.

"No harm done," the nurse waved off, checking over the vases.

"Uh, what are those?" Chat Noir questioned.

"Flowers, someone had a nearby plant nursery send fourteen vases of these flowers to all the Sleeping Beauties victims," she answers, "Though some have already left."

"Who sent them?" Chat Noir asked, worried that Henry might have sent them. While he only briefly talked to the victim before going after Marinette, he could tell that he was a bit distraught and upset by what had happen. Was this his way of saying sorry for what he had done?

"Don't know," replied the nurse, "According the delivery boy, the person paid cash and didn't leave a name, just an order for the flowers and for them to be deliver to the Sleeping Beauties victims. He also ordered cards for the vases too."

Plucking one of the cards, Chat Noir read the following note: _I apologize for my actions. I had no control of my mind or body. I do not ask for your forgiveness, I would not blame you if you hate me. I hope we never cross paths again. Please take care of yourselves and I wish you the best of luck in your futures._

' _He blames himself_ ,' thought Chat, putting the note back. It wasn't uncommon for victims to blame themselves for actions they had no control of. Hawk Moth took advantage of his emotions and forced him to become something he didn't want to be, do things he didn't want to do. Most akuma-ized villains got over it as their actions didn't cause much disruption or emotional pain, but Henry was different. Henry was an akuma for months and cause both emotional and physical damage. Chat Noir could only hope Henry would get help for what happened.

"Strange flowers to give too," muttered the nurse, snapping Chat out of his thoughts.

"What flowers are these?" Chat asked.

"Oleanders and Belladonnas," answered the nurse, pushing the cart towards the coma ward.

oOoOoOoOo

_Part of him wanted to go in and apologize, the other part of him says to stay away from the victims, give them room to recuperate. He looked up at the hospital building, the delivery boy long gone after delivering the flowers. Chat Noir only told him a little bit about what happen: he was possessed, he did bad things and hurt a lot of people. He didn't want to believe it. He had never hurt anyone before in his life!_

_But then that video came out, the one of the Ladybug and Chat Noir battling this 'Hector' and he knew that it was him. It wasn't his face or his actions, everything 'Hector' did was the opposite of his personality but somehow he knew that 'Hector' and Henry were one in the same. Research started, reports of an Incubus attacking women and putting them in comas. The families tears, the police chase, the wanted posters, it was all too much. After a day of research, he nearly went mad with grief for what he did._

_The breakup had caused this to happen. He didn't blame Alexandra nor did he blame himself, he was just the unlucky guy that was targeted by this villain to be used as a pawn. Even thought it wasn't his fault, he no longer felt Paris was his home. All the time he missed, the grief he caused to his family, friends and the victims were too much, even if he couldn't remember it. He had enough credits to transfer over to a college in England, he spoke English fluently and his parents and instructors had already agreed to the move._

_As he turned to leave, he was confronted by the two people standing behind him. "Hello Alexandra, hello Victoria," he said, his voice void of emotion, "You got out early._

_"Hey Henry," waved Victoria, blushing a bit. He know about her crush on him, but he was already dating his sister. Plus she thought she deserved better._

_"Yeah, I got out as soon as I woke up," replied Alexandra, "I hate hospital. The nurses and doctors are so fussy."_

_There was silence between the three before Henry said, "I'm leaving Paris."_

_"What? For what happen?" Alexandra asked._

_"That and I was always planning on leaving France," he answered._

_"It's not your fault," stated Alexandra, "You were possessed."_

_"I hurt you," he said, "I hurt a lot of people."_

_"Again, you were possessed," replied Alexandra, getting angry, "As in 'you were not in control of your body.'"_

_"I thought you'd be happy that I was miserable, that I'd be leaving," he replied, shifting his weight to his other leg._

_"I'm a bitch, not evil," Alexandra muttered, "Beside, I probably deserved want happen."_

_"No you didn't," he answered back, "Not one deserved that. No matter how bad they are."_

_"Heh, thanks," laughed Alexandra, "So this is goodbye."_

_"Yeah," he nodded, walking away._

_"Yo Henry!" Alexandra shouted, "Don't beat yourself up! Get some help!"_

_"And good luck!" Victoria shouted._

_He turned back to see the girls waving back at him, smiling a bit, or what he could consider a smile for Alexandra, before they both walked away. Forgiveness, he never thought he would get that, especially from the girl that hurt him so much and suffered the worse of the attack. For some reason, he felt a bit light-headed, like a small weight was removed from his body. Turning back to the hospital, he whispered 'sorry' before headed back home. Time for a new start._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! I'm done! Finally! Also, sorry for being late this chapter too. Busy, busy, school is getting back on tract! I know many people wanted this to be a reveal fic, but honestly there are way too many reveal fic or reveals that are part of fics. Seriously like 70% of fics are reveal fics or have reveals in them. I'd like to wait for the show to build up the show before they do any reveals, it's way too early for reveals now. Heck, maybe I'll do my own reveal fic later, but not right now. Maybe when they finish with season two. Sorry.
> 
> Anway, for the results of the ML polls! Remember, the results are a combination of FF votes, tumblr votes, PM votes and Ao3 votes. The winner (and runner ups) of the ML Polls is:
> 
> 1nd Place: GREEN WITH ENVY (72 votes)
> 
> 2nd Place: Glass Slippers (57 votes)
> 
> 3rd Place: username: AKUMA (56 votes)
> 
> Well it's official: MariChat fans have dominated the polls. Seriously, I was shocked by how many of the MariChat fics were getting more and more votes in the polls. They are a determined fan base! So Green With Envy is the winner and I've already started working on ch.1 of it. Hopefully I'll get it posted by this weekend or Monday (looking at my track record). If you readers want the full list of winners with their vote numbers, go to my tumblr page as I've made a post about it. Thank again for sticking by me with Oleanders & Belladonnas, hope to see you all on my next fics!~

**Author's Note:**

> Read and review! Reviews are greatly appreciated by the writer and give her motivation to write more :3


End file.
